Review: Del Toro - Hydra

Del Toro's debut album, Hydra, is aptly named. At times this album feels like it has many heads, but at the bottom of it all it's all part of the one beast. Each song feels like the score to some cinematic masterpiece, but exactly what film you don't know, and therein lies the beauty of Hydra; each song is open to the listener's unique interpretation.

Hydra kicks off with a RZA-style intro featuring dialogue from a Alejandro Jodorowsky film before vaulting into the sound that Del Toro has come to embody; sprawling atmospheric 'desert rock'. The track, 'Man Bites Bear', rambles on until to the exact point where the listener begins to drift, and then Adam Dodd's guitar kicks into overdrive and gives the song another perspective before trailing off into the setting sun. 'Spare Parts' is a bouncy change of pace that makes good use of delay and distortion. Jason Leca's bassline carries the song along in whichever direction he feels they need to go, while Adam's guitar weaves around and Bre O'Neill pounds away on the skins.

'Exxo' intersperses distorted riffs with some eerie effect-laden guitar lines. The song is one of many tracks on Hydra to display the influence of the album's producer Casey Rice (Tortoise, Dirty Three). The shrill 'Transit' sound like it's being played with a dentists drill rather then a guitar, but the three-minute blast of sound works quite effectively. The brooding 'Frog Prince' gets a little crazy midway with what sounds like a Japanese women speaking before being shattered into electronic oblivion.

The pounding 'Oaxaca' follows on with that spaghetti western-in-space feel returning under the layers of sonic distortion. The excellent 'Cabo' has a similar, if somewhat more laid back, vibe to it. 'Sharpie' throws a bit of surf-rock guitar styling into the post-rock mix, before Del Toro launches into the one-two punch of 'Hydra' and 'Huevos Del Oro'. The title track has a glimmering, aquatic feel to it, building up until it reaches the sludgy, Swervedriver-like 'Huevos Del Oro'. The whole band shine on the track, with Dodd's guitar creating dense sheets of sound that make the song sound a lot bigger then it has any right be.

'Unlimited' and the oddly named 12th track, '13', continue with the proven formula or previous songs, but the next song, 'Saddle Down', is an epic eight minute long track which verges on falling under the classification of Krautrock. The track chugs along until the pulsing semi-motorik beat drops away halfway through and is soon replaced by a filtered didgeridoo before the song builds up to a soaring conclusion. Hydra then reaches its conclusion with 'The Good, The Bad, and The Undead', a Morricone-esque piece that is a fitting ending to the aural journey the album proffers.

Hydra is a unique and well developed take on instrumental rock, with the ability to stand up to the works of its peers within the genre. The album rewards the listener in a different way each time it is played, a sure sign that Hydra will stand he test of time.

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Weekly News - April 6th

• Robert Forster is set to release his latest album, The Evangelist, on April 21. From all accounts (5 stars in Uncut, 4 stars in Q) it's an album on par with his best work. Have a judge for yourself here where you can listen to The Evangelist in full.

• Singer-songwriter Madeleine Paige is set to release her debut EP this month. You can pick up a copy of Angels In The Architecture this Thursday at The Globe where Madeleine will launch the EP.

• I Heart Hiroshima are working on some sort of remix album for Tuff Teef, to be released on Valve Records later in the year. I'm a little bit short on details for this one so I'll keep you posted.

• That's not all Valve are up to at the moment. Apart from debut albums from Del Toro, Do The Robot and An Horse this month, they also have Jane Woody's (Formerly of I Heart Hiroshima and Kicks) first LP, Big Breaths Little Lungs, coming out in May. To top this all off they are going to be the local distributor of the Scul Hazzards' Let Them Sink. Hats off to Valve for being such a cornerstone of Brisbane music.
  

• Loud In The Library is an initiative by the Brisbane City Council in support of National Youth Week (as in this week). Held at libraries around Brisbane, they have some pretty sweet programs set up (Learn how to krump!) as well as a number of bands playing for free. Have a look at their website for more information.
  

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Weekly News - 25th March

Not much happening this week, but seeing as I'm endavouring to keep this somewhat weekly I guess i should write something. So for posterity's sake I'll give you a rundown of local releases to expect in April. As I mentioned in the previous article Yves Klein Blue are launching their debut EP on the 5th. Valve Records are also upping the ante with a trio of releases. Del Toro's Hydra LP, Do The Robot's Amp On Fire LP, and An Horse's Not Really Scared EP will all come out on the local imprint in April. Transport, who've been overseas for the last 12 months, will also release their first album, The Inner Chimp. Wind&Brackets are also planning on dropping their as yet untitled debut EP, and, if you're in the vicinity of Paris, see if you can get hold of Scul Hazzards debut LP, Let Them Sink.

And don't forget to check out The Rational Academy's A Heart Against Your Own, after a couple of listens I'd have to say it's probably my favourite album of 2008 so far.

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Favourite Brisbane Bands - Gav's Top 5

I'm a sucker for a list so here's my side of this rundown. A quick disclaimer before we start however, this list is a) lacking bands which are older (Go-Betweens, Saints, etc.), b) lacking bands which most people already now about (The Grates are the only casualty here), c) lacking bands who have recently moved (Scul Hazzards), or disbanded (Night Crash, Shakes) and d) lacking bands which Cam has already listed. On top of all this I am an extremely fickle person and this list will most likely have no meaning to me come tomorrow, but for now it is today so here goes.

I Heart Hiroshima:

This was the easiest pick of the lot. I Heart Hiroshima are a band who I'm proud to say come from Brisbane. From the quirky name and off beat lyrics, to the slamming drums and repetitive riffs, Matt, Cam and Susie have been the soundtrack to the last two years of my life. While many are quick to whack the generic indie band label on the trio, I am of the opinion that I Heart Hiroshima are quite possibly the most unique sounding band in Australia. I constantly find myself trying to play spot the influence while listening to IHH, and yet I fail miserably each time. Instead I usually end up dropping the music geek shtick and losing myself in the sea of catchy yet discordant music they produce.

And while each one of IHH's releases has been a highlight for me, it is on stage that the band really shines. The constant energy the band puts into their music, not to mention the sheer joy that constantly emanates from Susie when she's behind the kit, propels the band from good to great in the live setting. I've now seen the band perform close to 20 times and I can still vividly remember each one (though I have to admit, the Skinny's in-store where a drunken hobo attacked a bunch of teenagers stands out). While the band may have to refine their style to make it internationally, half of me hopes that they don't so they stay in Brisbane.

Violent Soho:

Oscar Wilde once said 'Talent borrows, genius steals.' If this is true then Violent Soho may just be the next Beatles.

Okay so Violent Soho may not be geniuses, but the four boys from Mansfield have taken the almost deceased sound of grunge and beaten it into submission. Having missed grunge the first time around, I feel like I can somehow vicariously live that life via Violent Soho. And why not when they channel the sound of bands such as Mudhoney and Green River so perfectly? Indeed one of the corner pieces of recent sets has been their searing cover of Melbourne band GOD's 1989 song 'My Pal'. While their debut EP was catchy as hell, it had a feel of youthful ignorance to it that stopped it from being the great release it could have been. Recent tracks may signal an improvement however, with 'Son Of Sam' and 'Jesus Stole My Girlfriend' both showing signs of the band finding its on niche within grunge.

Del Toro:

When ever Del Toro comes up in conversation it seems unavoidable that words such as 'cinematic', 'western', and 'desert' will be used. And while their is a huge Morricone vibe running through most of their songs, Del Toro turn it into The Good, The Bad, And The Acid Casualty. Indeed if they were to score a film it would be a western, but one set in space or a post-apocalyptic setting (a la Firefly).

The trio have just finished recording their debut album with Casey Rice (Dirty Three, Tortoise, Veruca Salt) which should be released sometime in the near future.

The John Steel Singers:

JSS are probably the band most likely to succeed in Brisbane at the moment. Anyone who has seen them live or heard their debut EP will testify this. The six lads take every current musical trend and throw them out the window in favour of a classic 60's pop sound drawing straight from The Beatles and The Beach Boys. That said they never fall into the trap of being derivative, rather they keep things fresh via unique melodies, quirky lyrics, and the ability to take a song in the opposite direction from what you're expecting, even if you've just listened to the it a dozen times. They've also just finished recording an new EP, so keep an eye for that one.

Young Liberals:

The Young Liberals are the dark horse of this list. Indeed they've only played live once (their second gig is tonight), yet they have already recorded two albums. The reasoning behind this is a goal to record an album for each month of 2008, and so far so good. The band combines the sound of 60's garage rock with lyrics reminiscent of David McCormack (E.g. A song about Robbie William's CD's being used to pave roads in China). The result is some of the most entertaining music I've heard in recent times. I won't go into much more as I'll be posting a review of the albums soon, but if you get the opportunity to see the Young Liberals play I couldn't recommend it more.

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Weekly News - December 7th

• Its December and that means end of the year lists, and locally there's none bigger then 4ZzZ's Hottest 100. Anyone can vote, however 4ZzZ subscribers go in the running to win 10 CD's. Entries close Christmas Day, so get in quick and vote here.

• Undertow, the Gold Coast's resident street press, is releasing a compilation showcasing the city's musical talent. The featured artists cover the spectrum of the Gold Coast music scene, ranging from the internationally and nationally recognised (Operator Please, Winnie Coopers), to local favourites (The Daisycutters, The Presidents Bush). Proceeds from sales of the CD go to charity so make sure to pick up a copy when its released next week.
  

• Garage-punks The Busymen are launching their debut album this week (a decade after they formed!). Distort All Levels is being released on Turkeyneck Records and promises to serve up a uniquely 'Brisbane' take on the proto-punk sound of the 60's.
  

• Things are on the up and up for Del Toro. The band have recently finished recording their debut album, Hydra, with veteran producer Casey Rice (Tortoise, Veruca Salt, Dirty Three). The first evidence of this is the stellar track 'Unlimited', available to hear on the band's Myspace. The trio have also scored support slots in January for US alternative heavyweights Low and Built To Spill.

• Brisbane's very own supergroup (of sorts), Rooftop Nightwatch, have unleashed a bunch of demos. Don't let the tag put you off though, these are excellent quality recordings so be sure to check them out.

• For those lamenting Brisbane's prodigal instrumental hip-hopper's Briztronix (Who have recently released their debut LP), I suggest having a listen to the latest release from Monster Monster. The track 'Nine Minutes And Fifty Something Seconds' is to be released as a single in the future, but for now you can listen to part of it in the Monster Monster's myspace.
  

• Bit of a public service announcement to finish off. Mary Trembles bassist Tanzie had three guitars stolen last Saturday in Bowen Hills and would probably like them back. Check out the details here if you know anything.
  

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Review: Turnpike / Del Toro Split EP

This particular EP has been out for a while now, but since there are still some copies floating around (and I haven't written anything substantial in about 2 weeks) I thought that I would finally put together a write-up for it. So here it is.

A bit over a year ago local go-getters 'Del Toro' won the 4zzz Radiothon band prize, said prize entailing a weekend's recording at Airlock Studios. Being the community minded people that they are, Del Toro invited Brisbane indie-noise-rock stalwarts 'Turnpike' to join them in this endeavour, the idea being to released a Split EP featuring one song from each band. Strangely enough, that's exactly what ended up being released.

Side 1 (or Track 1, since it's a CDR release as opposed to the original idea of releasing a 7") belongs to Del Toro's track 'Hinge & Pluck'. It's vintage Del Toro (or as vintage as you can get from a band that hasn't yet released an album... although that's coming next year, courtesy of one Mr Casey Rice). It's Ennio Morricone as played by Love of Diagrams. There's that trebly-as-fuck guitar tone, all delay and wah and washes of distortion. There's the awesome bass part that pretty much drives the song. There's the rock solid drumming that slithers between the immovable bass and the piercing guitar. Yep, Del Toro. Actually, there is one notable aspect to this song which differentiates it from every other one of the band's tracks: 'Hinge & Pluck' is... well, it's sexy. It will make you want to shake your post-rocking booty. Or at least nod your head while sitting in a darkened corner with your arms folded.

Where Del Toro's offering will make you want to get your skank on like some dread-locked hippy, Turnpike's 'Selling, This Century' is more likely to get you to do some emo-kid thrash-moshing*, complete with windmill kicks, etc. Any regular readers may know that Turnpike are pretty much my favourite Brisbane band, and this track is a pretty good example of why. The song starts with a classic Turnpike riff, alternating between (relatively) subdued verses and all-out choruses that essentially utilise the same riff. About one third of the way through the song the band goes into a breakdown that leads to a tense buildup-and-windown-again, taking us to the final third. At this point the band kicks into top gear, with the noisey riffing and screams being joined by a delightfully dissonant piano. Adam King is one of the most energetic guitarists I've ever heard/seen, and the rhythm section behind him is able to give him the base that he requires to go off and let rip with his dissonant math-rock shredding (and similar shredding of his vocal chords). Both bands on this release really seem to rely on their bassists to keep the song rooted, with the guitarists riffing over the top while the drummers find some sort of middle ground between the two.

This EP was recorded by local engineer Emerson, who also recorded The Butcher Birds' EP. While I was somewhat critical of the sound of that recording in my review of it, I think that Emerson's slick style actually works a bit better with these two bands. Del Toro have possibly the thinnest guitar sound in history, paired with one of the thickest bass sounds - Emerson makes the two components work together better than in any of the band's previous recording, while giving the drums a welcome step up in power. Turnpike, on the other hand, have one of the most chaotic sounds around, with the guitar tone approaching white noise at times. The extra sheen that this recording gives the band suits them well, as it reins in their noisier elements while still capturing their crazy energy, making the band sound tighter than ever. I don't quite think that it equals Bryce Moorhead's recording of their Not Lost EP (still my favourite sounding Brisbane release, and probably Turnpike's high-water mark), but Turnpike's sound has changed a bit since then, with a much greater emphasis on repetition and noise.


* yes, at 24 I am completely out of touch with 'youth culture'.

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Del Toro, Butcher Birds, Side Effects @ Rosie's (28.9.07)

This marked my first visit to the new Rosie's, and I liked what I saw and heard - at least in the downstairs area where this particular gig was held (upstairs contains a smaller room for more 'intimate' shows). The venue certainly has lots of volume at its disposal, something that definitely came in handy for this show.

Opening to a sparsely filled room were The Side Effects. I had never seen them before, but was aware that they contained members of SixFtHick, so I had an idea of what to expect - big, bluesy punk riffs covered with distortion. That's pretty much what I got. The band opened with a song built on a repetitive and rhythmically minimalist riff held down by the rhythm section, while the guitarist played over the top and spat out (what I imagined to be) lyrical bile. It didn't really convince me - the singer didn't really have the necessary vocal gravity to pull off such a song, with the end result being a kind of plodding garage rock number that aimed at something bigger than its actuality - not necessarily bad per se, but not really engaging either. With the second song, however, the band kicked things up a gear, and as long as they kept the tempo to a relatively high level they were definitely entertaining. The drummer especially was great to watch, all flailing limbs, twirled sticks and lupine grimaces. The bassist attempted to match him with pure solidity and power, and came pretty close to doing so. While they're not a band I'd actively seek out, that's probably more to do with personal musical preferences than anything else. If that whole bluesy, swampy garage punk-rock thing is your bag then you should check them out.

Butcher Birds followed on from Side Effects. The band started with their trademark volume and comparitively clear vocals, but something seemed to be missing for the first few songs, some sort of intangible spark. When the band hit the song 'Mower' (from the Eat Their Young EP) that all changed - within the space of one song the volume seemed to increase, the rhythms became more urgent and the band just more energetic in general. I don't think it was simply a matter of it being the first song in the set that I recognised, I think there was a discernible shift in attitude on stage - where beforehand the band had seemed almost distracted, there was now a focus. The rest of the set followed suit, with songs that weren't as content to purely batter with volume. There was an increased emphasis on vocal melodies that provided a counterpoint to the sludgy guitars underneath them, as opposed to being content to merely float along on top. Hell, I even heard some Corin Tucker-esque wailing wedged in between the usually smokey vocals of lead singer Stacey Coleman. There were some nice use of dynamic displayed in the latter songs, which bodes well for any future releases from the band.

Finishing up the night were the dependable Del Toro. If you know Del Toro then you know how they played - I don't think I've seen them play a bad show... although, I'm not sure I've ever seen them play a truly transcendent show either. Still, reliable quality is no bad thing, especially when Del Toro offer a less moody and ultimately more immediately enjoyable twist on the standard epic post rock going around. There were bouncing basslines from their always impressive bassist, combined with solid rhythms and atmospheric guitars. Yep, pretty much another show from Del Toro. As I reported in my previous review of the band, it's good to see that the band is attempting to stretch out somewhat from their usual sound and mood, with some almost 'upbeat' songs sprinkled through the set. They've recently returned from Melbourne, where they recorded their debut album with Tortoise compatriot Casey Rice, so look for that at some stage in the next few months.

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Turnpike & Del Toro Split EP Launch with Mass Migration @ Fat Louies (3.8.07)

This was an 'unmissable gig' for me. Why? My favourite Brisbane band, Turnpike, was launching a new release after a bit of an absence from the live scene. Furthermore, the release was a split EP with the fine Del Toro. Lastly, the show was at the somewhat revamped Fat Louie's, who have recently replaced their old PA and cleaned up their live music area, so I was keen to see how things had improved.

So, we'll start with the last point and make our way back to the first. The new setup at Fat Louie's isn't hugely different, the main difference being that the stage and old carpet has been removed, leaving a polished wooden floor that puts the band and audience at the same height. Personally I like having the band on the same level (though I imagine it might be a pain at a much busier gig), and the wooden floor gives the venue a more sophisticated look (not too sophisticated, mind you - this is still a relatively DIY venue). I wasn't really able to judge the improvement in the PA, since two of the three acts were instrumental guitar bands.

Now to the bands. First up was Mass Migration, a band that I've seen twice previously. Ultimately, they're a fairly traditional post-rock band - pretty guitar bits transforming into big riffs, massive bass chords and crashing drums, ebows, the occasional piano-based song, no vocals. If you don't know my views on post-rock (and why would you?), have a quick read of this gig review. My thoughts on Mass Migration are pretty much the same as my thoughts on most bands who play that Mogwai-esque, guitar-based, crescendoing post-rock; it's enjoyable while I'm listening to it, but doesn't really satisfy in the long-term and soon starts to sound kind of one-dimensional and stale. That said, there are a lot of people who are still really into that sound, and for those people Mass Migration will most likely be an enjoyable band to listen to. I must admit that I did enjoy their set, even moreso than I have on previous occasions.

Del Toro were next. I suppose that Del Toro are also a 'post-rock' band, but they're somewhat unlike any other such band that I can think of. Sure there are big riffs and nimble guitar lines in equal number, and the band utilise repetition and buildups to provide a big musical payoff, but to my ears their sound owes a lot to that other 'post-' genre, post-punk. I've always thought that they sound like Love Of Diagram's rhythm section backing a mexican mariachi-band guitarist who has fallen in love with delay and flanger pedals. The drums are more cutting than crashing, the bass more driving than crushing, and the guitar more fluid than airy.

With that said, at recent Del Toro shows I'd begun to think that the band was turning into a one-trick pony. Half the time I have been unable to tell if the song I was hearing was new or old. When they begun their first song on Friday my first thought was 'here we go, another Del Toro song that sounds like every other Del Toro song'. But in the second song things were different - the bass was lighter, and the song didn't so much break out into a wall of noise as much as gradually and gracefully unravel and then return from where it came. Over the course of the set the band unveiled many songs that somewhat surprised me in one way or another. Some of the songs were even *gasp*... happy! Hell, some of them could even have been mistaken for some sort of post-rockified pop songs (if they had some sort of vocal over the top). I was pleased to see that the band have begun to widen their range.

When Del Toro were done it was time for the main event, as far as I was concerned (although I guess that other people didn't agree, as the venue emptied out fairly considerably - it was approaching midnight, though). Turnpike ripped into their music right from the start, singer/guitarist Adam King being drenched in sweat before the end of the first song. That's pretty much why I love the band - I've never seen them be any less than completely into the music they're playing, and they always put out a huge amount of energy from onstage. Friday was no different, though the band were admittedly somewhat under-rehearsed (as evidenced by the aborted second song... although they replayed it much more successfully towards the end of the set). To be honest, they seemed to have their regular mix of crazy tightness mixed with an endearing looseness - the band members seemed to be able to read each other minds in terms of moving the songs through their different sections. As a fellow audience member said after the show, if you think you can play guitar, after watching Adam you'll realise how boring your parts are. Similarly, if you think your band has chemistry, after seeing Turnpike you'll realise you have years of playing to reach their level. The way that Tim anchors the band on bass while Adam rips out dissonant riffs and squealing lead lines, with Chris moving somewhere between the two on drums. It wasn't the best ever Turnpike show I've seen, but it was a damn good one, and considering they haven't played all that much in recent months, that made it very satisfying.

Turnpike's set was also the first chance to hear the venue's new PA in action. Despite some feedback issues (which were mostly sorted by the second half of the set), the sound seemed pretty good, with Adam's vocals being as loud in the mix as I've ever heard them (no mean feat, seeing as he has a tendency to shake his head from side to side from about a foot away from the microphone). It will be interesting to see how the new sound system handles a more complex setup than those on show this particular evening.

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