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Garrett Cooper is a musician who hails from South Australia. We had all had enough of 2021, but Cooper decided to give himself the goal of writing one song a month and putting it up on Bandcamp from November. He named the project Brave Mistakes, which may or may not have been hinting at how he felt about the task ahead. Now, Brave Mistakes is not the first to do the one song a month challenge, but one must remember that Cooper started this with a change from his usual harder rock style.

And now we are in November 2022. Single number twelve is here…. or is it? There seems to be two singles in the form of the tracks “Can’t Fear” and “The Goon“, which make up a trilogy of songs called Shadow Pals and Brave Mistakes is no longer a solo project, but now a fully fledged band. The sound has filled out with those jangly guitars tumbling beautifully over each other and Cooper’s vocals have gotten stronger each track, dare I say giving Chris Isaak a run for his money.

Obviously not content on just one song for this month, we are going out with a bang. On Bandcamp you will also find a new rendition of “Charlotte Street“, which was the first to kick everything off and it has been stripped down, full of overwhelming emotion. I was actually surprised to also see the release of a cover of one of my most favourite bands of all time. The Church, for me are the epitome of superb composition, poetic lyrics and more cool than the Arctic (and good grief they were so hot looking in their paisley and winkle pickers). The cover of “Under The Milky Way” kind of blew my mind and in all honesty, I actually cried a little.

Over all, the general ambience is dark and moody, with definite overtones of country music, which gives Brave Mistakes a quintessentially Australian sound. The music follows in the footsteps of such acts as stalwart Nick Cave, rockers Beasts Of Bourbon, The Johnny’s or the wonderful and sadly missed Triffids. It is music that speaks of longing, loneliness and separation in a land both expansive and ancient, where one can lose themselves in the terrain or simply in your own head. Southern Australian gothic or dark country? Maybe it defies pigeon holing but it is terrific rock music no matter how you look at it. Brave Mistakes sometimes pay off.

Music | Brave Mistakes (bandcamp.com)

Brave Mistakes | Adelaide SA | Facebook

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Down in the crypt, somewhere in the United Kingdom, someone cobbled together a monstrous label called We Are Horror Records, knitting and stapling punk, deathrock and psychobilly. Their first abomination is the compilation, Horror Punk’s Not Dead! Vol 1. with a whole 27 tracks to give you the heebie jeebies and this unholy of unholies was given life on Halloween.

“The reasons behind this compilation are clear! To pay homage to the “Punk-o-Rama” series, and to showcase the best modern Horror Punk, Death Rock, and Psychobilly bands in the world! To quote 5¢ Freakshow.. “We may be freaks, but we are not alone…” The Horror is here!” (Dan P., creator and host of the Horrorpunk’s Not Dead! podcast.)

So much choice here. There is the soulful harmonics of Silent Horror with “Astrofiends“, the utterly oi oi stylings of Damage 66 and their ever so eloquent track “Fuck You (If You’re Not Bruce Campbell)” which is honestly a sentiment I can completely get down with. You can bounce around to the delightful rock’n’roll psychos, 5 Cent Freakshow with their self titled track, listen to the goth-a-billy sweet lads, Evelyn’s Casket and their ode to checking out of life, “Evelyn“, maybe suffer some electrifying goth rock at “The Asylum” from The Deathtones or be mesmerised by the cover of The Dickies song, “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” by Ghosts On Tape.

Get your hatchet face on because this thing is bubbling with talent and oozing with tracks to murder for, as you party with your fiends in the nearest and dearest graveyard. There is also the delightful intro to the compilation which you really should have a listen to. Like most serial killer bad guys in the horror movies, I am going to have to stop, though luckily I didn’t need to be stabbed, incinerated or buried in a well. But I will be back, because as the title says, Horror Punk Is Not Dead! Vol 1, which means………you children of the night better be ready for some more juicy horror punk.

Horrorpunk’s Not Dead! Vol. 1 | We Are Horror Records (bandcamp.com)

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

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From County Cork, in Ireland, we have the darkwave act, Arctic Lights with their new single “Belong“, released on November the 4th. Liam O’Callaghan (vocals, guitar) and Edward Butt (bass guitar)are the duo that are the nucleus of Arctic Lights, with Max Mac joining them on drums.

Low vocals greet your ears with acoustic accompaniment of a guitar, though all this is an illusion as the electronics break through. There is a sonic component, a see saw between vocals, synths and guitar that is quite mesmerising.

Darkwave with that shoegaze wall of sound and the sublime singing that creates a wonderfully textured track about the very human desire to be apart of a relationship of some description. Come and “Belong” with Arctic Lights.

https://arcticlights.bandcamp.com/track/belong

https://m.facebook.com/ArcticLightsCork

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Need an injection of gothic rock to perk up your dark soul? Then the debut track “Darkened Eyes” from st///ll might stoke the fires. The three members are scattered between the UK and Ireland but have the common love for the post-punk genre.

The drum machine starts pistoning away, joined by the chiming out guitar, before the Ian Curtis like vocals invade your concious. Then you are plunged into a sonic sweetness, due to the bass being there, ramping up the tension and dueling the lead guitar. It’s a bit like being transported back to the early 80s.

I think there is not only a love here for Joy Division but I can also hear Pink Turns Blue, which is tangible in both the vocals and guitar. Given a chance, “Darkened Eyes” could easily become a gothic dance floor anthem. There is no excuse for not popping off to Bandcamp to secure this little beauty as it is name your price, for a seriously strong debut track from st///ll.

https://still6.bandcamp.com/track/darkened-eyes

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083423207378

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What better way to celebrate Halloween, than to release a vampiric cover song, so that is exactly what Beauty In Chaos have done with the Concrete Blonde track, “Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)“, which was from the 1990 album of the same name, Bloodletting.

Video still by Vicente Cordero

Is that buzzing sound a blood sucking mosquito in the room? Not exactly as it resolves into revealing itself to be the sax of Mars Williams (Psychedelic Furs), to accompany the flourishing guitars. There is a drawn out sassiness that only increases with the introduction of the vocals from Michael Ciravolo, the man behind the creation of Beauty In Chaos, inducing the feel of New Orleans, because as a native, he has that Southern drawl. The progression becomes almost like a drug fuelled dream, as everything wavers, intoxication settling in and we become part of the undead parade march, into the nightmare that is the lair of the vampire, with the lovey ladies, Whitney Tai, Kat Leon and Tish Ciravolo joining in on vocal duties.

For me, there are two female singers that I hold in very high esteem. The first is the iconic Siouxsie Sioux and the other is the amazing Johnette Napolitano, so Concrete Blonde is very close to my heart. Her vocals alone were a good reason to love the band. I am going to say I am glad that it is different but kept to the essence and core of the “Bloodletting“. A new spin to a classic and you can see the love not only for the song but the inspiration, New Orleans and Anne Rice’s vampire’s who often called it home, conjuring visions of warm nights, strong brews, voodoo and the smell of wisteria and death. The video is also a treat so you should also check it out as well, full of shadowy characters, sexy vamps, obligatory vampire hunter and the secrets a mask can hide.

BLOODLETTING (The Vampire Song) | BEAUTY IN CHAOS (bandcamp.com)

Beauty In Chaos | Facebook

Beauty in Chaos (beautyinchaosmusic.com)

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Did AL1CE meet the White Rabbit, with his pocket watch, muttering about ‘Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!‘, for their latest single is about “Time“. Tash Cox (lead vocals), Sasha Travis (vocals, slapper 👀), Gordon Bash (vocal, bass guitar, moog synth), Carl Garcia (synth), Steve Kefalas (drums) and Scott Landes (guitars, synth) are the full compliment of AL1CE.

The measured beginning, blooms into the chorus of harmonising vocals in sweet lament of before I fade away. The guitar cries out in its torment, consoled by the synths.

In essence, “Time” waits for no man. We think there is an endless supply of it but soon find ourselves running out of time but with it you can gain knowledge, wisdom and love if used wisely. Time gives with one hand and takes with the other, which is kind of what this track is about, written in the Covid-19 lockdowns. The vocalists are the gems, set in the crown of a beautiful song and the musicians the weavers of magic.

Time | AL1CE (bandcamp.com)

AL1CE – Los Angeles CA | Progressive, dark electronic rock (ilikealice.com)

http://www.facebook.com/ilikealice

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Is it worth revisiting a relationship to see if it can be rekindled? Harlow Syndrome actually exists and is about craving either the attention never received as a child or spark lost, the subject matter touched by Denver duo, A Shoreline Dream in their latest single, “Harlow Syndrome“. This is the third single off the Loveblind album, released on October the 18th on Latenight Weeknight Records.

Photo by Allan Cutler

And it is straight into the track. No mucking about, you are thrown into the swirling dirge of heady reverb with drums and the vocals echo angelically, through the layers of electronic haze. It touches your senses and caresses your ears with the suggestion of Cocteau Twins.

There is that robust wall of sonics and yet, with the singing, this track feels as delicate and fragile as glass, which could break if the wrong note is hit….though it never comes to that. A perfect mixture of shoegaze and darkwave together is A Shoreline Dream and their “Harlow Syndrome“.

Loveblind | A Shoreline Dream (bandcamp.com)

A Shoreline Dream | Facebook

http://www.ashorelinedream.com/

http://www.latenightweeknight.com/

Latenight Weeknight Records | Facebook

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French duo, The Shadow’s Gone Out, are sounding the Final Alarm, an EP released on the 23rd of September. From Tours, Nourtier Julien (drum, samples) and Enault Anthony (bass, samples) are bringing the instrumental industrial to you.

Sped up ragtime frivolity, followed by industrial tribal rhythms introduce you to the single ”Pills“. It is angry and voluminous, see-sawing with bridled near contempt. Welcome to the crazed circus of “Sous La Pluie” which means in the rain, as it climbs from peak to peak, gathering strength with the military cuts pervading the rising pressure. “Final Alarm” is the last track, full of foreboding and the promise of annihilation, klaxons calling out and military chatter join the ferocious drumming and underlying bass.

Always nice to hear a real drummer in the industrial scene, as it adds a richer tone to the music, especially when joined with heavy bass. There is a strong military feel induced by the samples as The Shadow’s Gone Out seems to be issuing an ominous warning. So beware the Final Alarm.

Final Alarm | The Shadow’s Gone Out (bandcamp.com)

The Shadow’s Gone Out | Facebook

https://www.instagram.com/tsgo_officiel/

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7th of October is the date, for the release, of the single “Alien Jewelry“, by Gold Coast band, Atticus Chimps. These rock primates can be found in the Hinterland of Mount Tambourine, named Sam Bray (songwriter, guitar/bass & vocals) and Daniel Briffa (drums).

There is a sonic climax as Sam delivers a furious guitar filled frenzy, while Daniel gives us the storming beats that carry this track along at a terrific pace. The lyrics speak of a wonderment of space and if we are but the ornaments of extraterrestrials, with Sam delivering them with conviction.

What if the universe we occupy, was actually contained in a piece of jewelry, which sparkles with the whirling solar systems within? I seem to remember this was touched upon in the movie Men In Black and in some ways, it is a question that cause some to quiver and have an existential crisis yet not Atticus Chimps. Their heady mixture of heavy rock and punk pop smarts gives “Alien Jewelry” an enticing sound that will drag you in and then leave you wondering why it all stopped.

Rock Band | Atticus Chimps | Queensland

Atticus Chimps | Facebook

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Sooooo, someone here is an idiot. Who missed the release of Brisbane alt rockers, Killtoys, new single “Sinking Like A Stone“, in the 16th of September? Oh, wait, that was me. So without delay let me introduce you to Mick Bristow (vocals and guitar), Stav Tsolakides (bass guitar) and Bevan Bancroft (drums).

Dirty, gritty guitars peel out in a grungy storm, whipping around your ears, the lead guitar crisply wailing and Bristow’s voice is at the front of all this, pulling it all together along with those crashing drums. The crushing weight of expectation when you can’t see the light and yet you know it is there waiting to be reached.

They say once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up and “Sinking Like A Stone” is about that process but also, bouncing back better than ever. Killtoys have that big noise sound, combined with old fashioned, alt rock Aussie style, all mixed with a heavy darkness which is all killer and definitely no filler.

https://www.facebook.com/Killtoysband/