Fantastic Bands And Where To Find Them: NSW Edition

What’s more exciting than finding a new fave band? One that lodges in your chest cavity and fires off every synapse in your brain. There’s a lot of acts out there, good and bad, but the ones that can floor you with a chord and revive you with a syllable are few and far between. Here are a few bands that we think have been cutting through the white noise recently.

Rackett

At the recent Electric Lady showcase Rackett lead vocalist Bec Callander took the stage with long blonde locks and left with a fuzzy, near-bald shave. Callander had invited someone wielding an electric razor to shear her mid-song. She didn't miss a single note and looked head on while hair fell to the ground in choppy clumps around her. It was possibly the most punk thing I have ever seen.

Callander might not shave her hair off every time she performs, but the all-female Sydney foursome will always crank the dial and push themselves to the limits on stage. Their music is unapologetically brash, sassy and in their performance they bring pure drama.

Rackett have been making music together since early last year and they are making waves, even at the bottom of line-ups. Their attitude, image and music are all influenced by the pop-punk movement and the long shadow cast by Peaches, but they push the genre's limits and bring a refreshing amount of optimism to the stage.

In September Rackett are launching their very first EP with two headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne before hitting the road with Killing Heidi.

Samantha Jonscher

Lost Tropics

Hailing from the Southern Beaches of Sydney, Lost Tropics have just splashed onto the scene with their newly released single Charlie's Van. The single itches with DIY garage rock vibes, but in fusion with some really strong pop-driven concepts, and was written in their friend Charlie's van about people that fly under the radar; people who live these 'pointless' lives and waste their fantastic potential. Small chance of that here - besides playing a heap of local gigs around Sydney they've just announced that they will perform at Sounds Of The Suburbs this September alongside Skegss, Camp Cope and Ruby Fields.

Just the fact that Lost Tropics are a six-piece takes their energy to a completely different level - their sound completely fills a venue and always gets the audience hyped - and despite some members being newer than others they have an undeniable chemistry that gives their performance even further edge. Taking inspiration from outfits such as Sticky Fingers and Ocean Alley, you can expect some pretty great vibes from their live shows. We may have found something to fill the hole the former dug when they left the scene. Catch Lost Tropics around Sydney in these next coming months!

Sara Tamim

Felix Lush

Stumbling across Felix Lush playing live in Sydney's inner west is always a blessing. The lavish essence of his music, combined with his introverted lyrical gaze, is reminiscent of bands like The Smiths, or more recently The Creases. Although some of the tracks on his debut EP State Of Mind can come across angst-ridden, they're also relatable and upbeat - the synth base making the tunes easy to dance to and perfect for bedroom jams. When played live, the crowd will always to have fun.

There is an arresting quality in his sound and presence that's uncommon with newer bands, but Lush has already mastered the art mesmerising crowds. The title track from last year's State Of Mind EP is a standout, Lush hooking you in with contagious electronic drumbeat before sweeping you away on a wave of synth and bass. His linear but strong vocal line lingers over the top of the beat and commands attention, and the catchy "don't go"s are sure to start some epic singalongs once he starts playing the bigger venues that his music deserves. You've just missed the launch of his newest single Juliette at Golden Age Cinema, but expect to see more of Lush very soon.

Sara Tamim

Sunscreen

We spotted Sunscreen earlier this month when they opened up I OH YOU's Coming Up, Not Down party at Oxford Art Factory. Sarah Sykes voice was husky and unique, with an enthrallingly low tonality. Sykes is also known for rocking the synth in another of Sydney's up-and-coming bands, Flowertruck, although this is her first endeavour as a lead vocalist. The harmonies shared between bassist Jett Thompson and lead guitarist Alex McDonald cushioned Sykes vocal, and it seemed there was a jazz seed deep in their melodies, although the guitar riffs and Hugo Levingston's drumming kept the tunes safely positioned in the indie-pop world. They managed to capture the early crowd, getting them on up on their feet and dancing - no mean feat.

Their transitions were a bit messy at times, but Sunscreen showed immense promise with their songs, which were quirky and lovable but, most importantly, fresh (with lyrics to match). Sunscreen are bringing something new to the Sydney live music scene, something that would be difficult to replicate. They have a vital uniqueness that most acts never find and it's exciting to see - which you can do through August when they play Volumes Festival, support The Jezabels at The Landsdowne, and open Against The Grain.

Sara Tamim

Pacific Avenue

Illawarra's Pacific Avenue have been magnetic since they dropped their first single in April. The May follow-up, Drive Away, hints there's DMA's influence and a talented wordsmith in the mix - the lyrics are unexpectedly grabbing from start to finish - with simple guitar strums and vocal melody lines that complement the intricate lyrical ideas.

Their more energetic stuff is equally exciting, still brimming with great lyrical content, but mixed in with mega fun polyrhythms. In Your Arms is completely electric and thrilling live - with a slow and sultry vibe and reggae guitars broadening the overall layering. Vocalist Harry O'Brien summons great throaty trills to end in an impressive vibrato. Pacific Avenue have been playing a heap of shows live in their circuit, as well as around the beaches in Sydney, and are about to release new single Girlfriend, which is sure to be another earworm. Having already supported acts such as San Cisco, Thelma Plum, and The Kava Kings, these guys are obviously earning a rep with their near seamless performances, and will be launching the single at Rad Bar in Wollongong on 10 Aug. They'll also be playing Sounds Of The Suburbs in September. 

Sara Tamim

Imperial Broads

Imperial Broads started as an email Lauren Crew and Eve Landein in 2012 from Pip Smith, who was having a particularly harrowing time in Prague. The idea grew and the three morphed into a band during winter in Marrickville while "freezing their tits off" in a shed and aspiring to make "some psych-y garagey droney music". Smith (guitar/vox), Crew (bass/vox) and Lande (guitar/vox) were joined by ex-Big Heavy Stuff's Nick Kennedy on drums and their debut album, Who Are We Turning Into? was released into the world in late 2016. It's a buzzy and fun album ranging from slower dreamy Western-inspired rock to colourful garage-doo wop pop that would not be out of place in a '60s girl group.

With Smith also releasing her debut novel this year, you can rightfully expect her contribution to Imperial Broad's lyrics to be astute and thoughtful. The whole band, in fact, shares the writing credits and there are truly beautiful scenes painted of urban Australia from days past to modern times along with the wandering guitar riffs and rock-solid drums.

Catch them quick before they hibernate to write their next record.

Mick Radojkovic

Clean Shirt

Clean Shirt describe themselves as "spooky pop", which can be attributed to the dark synth sounds from Alisha Bourke. With members from Burlap (Bourke and Max Edgar - guitar), Ted Danson With Wolves and Narrow Lands (Dean Crowe - bass) this group has already released their debut EP, Significant Looks, on cassette (yup, it's back!), which overlays moody synth, drum machine and multiple unique vocals from all members of the band.

Bourke explains, "Max just bought a drum machine and we started playing around with beats and we've all been interested in that sort of music, but we've never really played it before. We just wanted a different sort of outlet compared to the heavier sludgier stuff." The three friends decided to pursue the idea and have already played in Canberra and Melbourne with outfits like Jess Locke Band and Unity Floors.

Another friend, Jonathan Boulet mastered the EP while Bourke did the artwork. Despite their bassist heading OS for a little while, look out for new material and gigs around Sydney soon.

Mick Radojkovic

Sloan Peterson

The name Sloan Peterson fires up something the old brain cells. Where have I heard that before? It is, of course, reminiscent of Ferris Bueller's girlfriend (played by Mia Sara) from the 1986 film, and is also the pseudonym of Joannah Jackson, a 24-year-old from the inner west. She has been gaining a lot of attention with her two tracks so far, 105 and Rats; fuzzy, guitar-filled indie rock-pop tracks that warm up our cold hearts.

Her music has been compared to 1950s surf music, but there's a whole lot more going on here. The lyrics evoke memories of teenage love and pain and point to some insightful writing beyond her short years. The female singer-songwriter pool in Australia is growing in all the right ways, Peterson adding to the amazing talents of Ali Barter, Julia Jacklin, Alex Lahey and Jack River.

Sloan Peterson has already made great efforts to create excellent video clips to accompany her singles along with playing around town at Brighton Up, Botany View Hotel and Hudson Ballroom. With a debut EP just around the corner in September, she already has many gigs lined up at The Last Frost, Sounds Of The Suburbs and BIGSOUND and this is surely just the start for this impressive Sydney talent.

Mick Radojkovic