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Many Australian musicians are amazingly talented, and Melbourne’s Body Maintenance, saw in April, the release of their debut album Beside You, with the vinyl LP out on Drunken Sailor Records and cassette on Unwound Records. Now I am going to tell you that if you love post-punk music, and if you haven’t listened to Body Maintenance, then maybe you aren’t as cool as you think you are.

The tendrils of “Silver Yarns” wind around you and unleash the gorgeous guitars, that run and take flight. The vocals are within the mix and yet still ring clear, and you know that any song that mentions sinners and martyrs has got to be good. In fact it is an amazing start. It is a gothic gun duel at high noon in “Circles“, or at least the dark spaghetti western guitars say be there or be square. The synths swirl between and you wonder where the rattle snakes are hiding.

“The Spiral” feels like the most glorious vortex, berating your ears with tribal beats, and that is at complete odds with the far more reticent and thoughtful “Time Enough” that curls within your chest, like a hand gripping your heart. The bass guitar steadily pushes forward in “It’s Theatre“, and again those synths soar in your ears, which has a beautiful chorus and the guitar playing that could take your breath away.

The title track is the heavenly forlorn “Beside You“, which is about dedication no matter where it leads, and it has the air of freefalling. “The Fools, The Frauds” is verbose and has tinges of Virgin Prunes. The rhythm section pulls this track tightly in, while the guitars fight to contain themselves, all the while caressed by the vocals. The vocals in “Ends” catches your ears as does the big guitar sound and before we know it, there is the last track, “A Compliment“, which wanders in the ether of ghost like memories, gently roaming the shadowy paths.

Damn… how do I summarise this album. It is like chills down the spine due to the familiarity of the style, as it reminds me of British post-punk bands from another era, especially Play Dead, Danse Society, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and closer to home Ikon and The Church. Probably because it is very much guitar driven, with the use of reverb and pedals, and yet for me, it is the fact there is an air of magic in Body Maintenance’s sound, so richly dark and so invitingly warm at the same time. I am sure their influences are far more modern, but my hot take is Beside You is a brilliant post-punk album by Body Maintenance and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Beside You | Body Maintenance (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/unwoundrecords?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://www.unwoundrecords.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DrunkenSailorRecords

http://www.drunkensailorrecords.co.uk/

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July 13th marks the fourth single, called “Well Of Wishes” from Naarm (Melbourne) based band Society Of Beggars, which is off the very soon to be released debut album Levitator. Members Yianni Michalopoulos (vocals), Dimitrios Michalopoulos (guitar), Tom ‘Dibi’ Di Biase (drums) with Zoë Alexa (bass) make up the band that has been playing and touring since 2016..

The bass and drums are the driving force, giving the track a heavy rock focus, while the guitars waver between galvanic and sinuous. The vocals both melodic and gravelly, tell the story of how you can’t spend your life wishing, otherwise you never act to create reality. The lyrics in particular, are beautifully crafted jewels.

There is a sweeping graceful vastness in what I would describe at a touch of 70s Black Sabbath, mixed with something that is so tangibly Australian rock. “Well Of Wishes” is a precautionary tale of living for the moment instead inside one’s head, and giving one’s self to the darkness of the well. This latest single sees Society Of Beggars definitely rocking in style.

Well of Wishes | Society of Beggars (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/societyofbeggars

Society of Beggars – Official Website

https://www.instagram.com/societyofbeggars

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We are delighted to bring you a nice slice of post-punk gothy goodness in the form of a new single from New York’s’ Black Rose Burning. George Grant (bass/vocals/keys), Luis Infantas (drums) and Frank Morin (guitars), are on the verge of dropping their brand new album Ad Astra, and “Sing To Me (E.L.E.)” is the first single, released on the 23rd of June.

There is such a burst of overwhelming joy from the first strains of music. Ringing guitar with not quite chip tune synth, court your ears. Grant’s vocals come across between an ode to that which is lost and the sadness of being emotionally tortured by said loss. It is a rollicking track, foot tappingly quirky and yet it still pulls at your heart strings.

For those that do not know what an E.L.E is, the clue is in the song itself, that it means Extinction Level Event, say like a meteor hitting the Earth. Black Rose Burning are staying true to the mission statement, with their love of science fiction (as well as science fact!), fuelling the rocket engines of creativity and shooting them out into the stars, giving us aliens music to marvel at and enjoy… even if there ever is an E.LE., I would want Black Rose Burning to “Sing To Me (E.L.E.)“.

Sing To Me (E.L.E.) | Black Rose Burning (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/blackroseburning/?mibextid=ZbWKwL

http://www.blackroseburning.com/

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Have you ever sat, watching the sky in the dark, taking in the celestial bodies, through the substratosphere? Los Angeles darkwave band, The Sea At Midnight, have released the single, “Atmosphere“.

The vocals are tantalising, peaking your interest with the delicate bass, reined in drums and tinkling guitar. There are swells where the music lets loose, floating in the confines of a vehicle, no longer under control, but rather left to the whim of chance.

The production and mixing is by Chris King, the mastering was done by Patrick Hills at Earthtone Recording Company, while lilting saxophone was provided by Tony Bevilacqua. When you hear such tracks, you can’t help but be taken back to the original spaceman, Bowie’s “Major Tom“. A tale of leaving the Earth and floating in the unknown and boundless expanse of the heavens. “Atmosphere” is a tasty post-punk treat from The Sea At Midnight.

https://theseaatmidnight.bandcamp.com/track/atmosphere-2

https://www.facebook.com/theseaatmidnight/?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://linktr.ee/theseaatmidnight

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I have been assured that the New Zealand band, After The Flesh, is not named after the My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult track, though that track still lurks in the back of my mind. This four piece, from Wellington, have been around since 2019, and their Bandcamp page also contains demo versions but released their debut, self-titled EP in May.

‘After The Flesh comprises the talents of Slovenian-born vocalist and keyboardist Maruša Sagadin (“Marusha”); veteran local bassist Duncan Nairn; guitarist and vocalist Alec Morris; and drummer Sam Leamy‘. – UTM Music

There is a languid melancholy within “Cold Glory“. The bass is the main instrument of focus, with the jangling guitar and synths backing up. The vocals are intertwined, sinuous, and reaching for the starry skies. “Changeling” has an electronic funk, with off beat syncopation, leaving you feeling unsure and out of step. The idea that one never really changes, as what we are, is always inside us. The track, “Perpetual Midnight“, was originally released as a single in 2021 and has been updated for the EP. It hangs in the air, delicate and sensual, the perfect balance of sorrow versus uplifting. The last song is the ode to love called “Daisychain“. The track builds on the premise that when the significant other has left, there is only bleak loneliness. There is an uncluttered feeling throughout that is saturated in want and resignation.

I really enjoyed the vocal harmonisations within the tracks, playing between female and male, capturing your ears.. The mixing by Bryan Tabuteau is glorious and subtle, allowing each voice and instrument to be heard. So, After The Flesh is a beautiful thing to hear, and the group are growing into their sound, with sonorous and lugubrious gothic melodies.

After The Flesh | After The Flesh (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFleshMusic?mibextid=ZbWKwL

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The lads from the Gold Coast hinterland are back with a new single. Which lads do we speak about? Why the Aussie duo, Atticus Chimps, and the track “Eyes Speak“.

Grungy, and almost Black Sabbath inspired riffs, the rock and roll is laid down nice and tasty. Have you had fun with me?, is the chorus that plays through your head, in a not so playful jibe at the powers that be.

“Eyes Speak” is this really nice thumping, meaty chunk of heavier boogie rock’n’roll, nice and tasty, proving that Atticus Chimps have the ability and talent, when it comes to changing up their sound.

https://www.facebook.com/AtticusChimps?mibextid=ZbWKwL

http://www.atticuschimps.com/

Space Exploitation | Atticus Chimps (bandcamp.com)

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Back in 2020, we covered the release of the album Prepare For A Nightmare by Norwegian post-punk band Mayflower Madame, They have now re-released their second full length album as a deluxe version, on Only Lovers Records, with five new tracks included. In celebration, Mayflower Madame have dropped the single “Dresden“.

Photo by Tim Harris

The wandering guitars echo and plunge, for going out on this night might change your life forever, whether that is for your betterment or walking into disaster. The vocals are lethargic and almost unenthusiastic, like the singer knows the future, like a fortune teller, and there is a portent of gloom, especially if you take into account, Dresden burnt to the ground in WW2..

The accompanying video for “Dresden“, is a collection of noir, mostly silent films, cut together in a lovely montage of breathtakingly porcelain females. The signature psychedelic guitars are present and the synths have created an eerie background, held together with the drums and bass. Post-punk from Norway is alive and kicking with Mayflower Madame at the fore.

Prepared for a Nightmare (Deluxe Version) | Mayflower Madame (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/mayflowermadame

https://www.instagram.com/mayflowermadame/

http://www.onlyloversrecords.com/

https://www.facebook.com/onlyloversrecords/

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Some music projects go on hiatus, but they never truly go away. After twenty years, DC Astro and Martha A. Hoffmann, have breathed new life into their electronic/darkwave band Deep Red, and what better way to celebrate this than with the release of a new single, “Battle Lines” which features Element 104.

The low tones are heavy and bass driven, giving the track a voluminous depth, and a long with the rhythm hurtle this track forward. Hoffmann’s vocals range from whispered to clear and true, just as the synths chime out and spin about a relationship gone sour, and the fight to be able to walk away from other person.

In 2002, the album Chimera was released, which has the original version of “Battle Lines” on it. I can hear why they wanted to, in a way, resurrect this track and give it another run, modernising it. A note of interest is that the mastering was done by Doruk Öztürkcan of She Past Away fame. The over all feel of “Battle Lines” is a big break through track bound for the dance floor, which will ensure we will be hearing more from Deep Red.

Battle Lines | Deep Red featuring Element 104 | Deep Red (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/TheRealDeepRed

https://www.instagram.com/therealdeepred/

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From sun drenched Florida, Violet Silhouette are back with a new single, titled “Strange Wind“. This single is off the soon to be released EP Feverblue, which is the follow-up to the 2021 EP, SEMI-PERMANENTDEREALIZATION.

The metronome drum beats are twinned with the extruded electronics reverberating, which are joined by a classic post-punk heavy bass. The clean guitar breaks through, which heralds a burst of joyous, danceable sound. The vocals complete the booming shivers down the spine, as the music runs circles around your pleasure centres.

Longing and need are palpable in this track, along with the cascading layers of instrumentation. Violet Silhouette has mixed post-punk with both industrial dance and dark pop to give us the sublime “Strange Wind“.

https://violetsilhouette.bandcamp.com/track/strange-wind

https://www.facebook.com/violetsilhouetteofficial?mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://www.violetsilhouette.com/

https://www.instagram.com/violetsilhouetteofficial/

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They say the road to ruin is paved with good intentions and maybe US band, Bellhead might know this better than many. As of May the 8th, their latest EP, aptly named Good Intentions, was released on Oppressive Sky Records. What makes this project a little different is the fact that there are two styles of bass being played and no lead or rhythm guitar, so you know from that fact alone that their sound is going to be something a little special. The Chicago based duo is made up of Karen Righeimer (low bass, vocals) and
Ivan Russia (high bass, vocals, drum programming), while they have entrusted Bellhead’s sound to regulars, audio engineer Neil Strauch (Iron and Wine / Counting Crows / Owls / Joan of Arc / Walking Bicycles / Slow Mass) and mastering engineer Carl Saff (Acid Mothers Temple / Smoking Popes / Red Fang / Guided by Voices).

When you say “Bad Taste“, I admit I think of the New Zealand comedy horror movie, but in the case of this song, it feels more like Steven King’s ‘Misery‘, claustrophobic and just a tad a bit deranged in a stalkerish kind of way. The music for “Into The Deep” feels like really dark surf rock, that has the even darker tale of a relationship that is dragging the couple to their proverbial doom. The vocals are beautifully carried off between Righeimer and Russia. “Valentine” is both sweet and bitter at the same time. There is something poignantly timeless about this track as it wends it way through the unabashed sorrow and loss.

Oh my, Righeimer is vocally channelling Kim Gordon for “Apathy“. In fact, the whole song has the signature groove of Sonic Youth all over it, making lassitude ever so cool. There is a cover in the track “No Big Deal“, which was originally written and performed by Love And Rockets, appearing on their 1989, self titled album. Honestly, I can hear why they picked this song, and I think Love And Rockets might be a big influence on Bellhead’s overall sound. The two basses absolutely inject the funk into this cover. Last track is the delicious “Drugstore Keri“, a raw and sleazy ditty about some bird named Keri, who can supply the drug of your choice, on the sly.

Bellhead literally rumble, causing your speakers to buzz at times, in a very good way. Having the two bass married to a drum machine makes for an ever so tight rhythm section, also giving you the melodies as well. This definitely gives the music a dirty post-punk groove to each track, and this new EP leans more into pop rock. The Good Intentions of Bellhead is fun, nostalgic and rocking… in that fabulously gloomy way.

Good Intentions | BELLHEAD (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/bellheadband

https://bellheadband.com/

https://bellheadband.com/