Fantastic Bands And Where To Find Them: VIC 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. 

Horace Bones 

Horace Bones are named after the main character from 1970 schlock horror film I Drink Your Blood, about a band of LSD-crazed, satanist hippies who roll into a town and terrorise the local folk. But don't let that bother you.

Since 2015, Horace Bones have been unleashing their filthy, vicious, raw, surf-rock vibes on Melbourne audiences. In their first year they toured the country four times, committed "two members to the hospital, twice", and released their first EP Son Of The City. They not only play together, but they all live together, too. Who knows what LSD-crazed satanist hippie shit goes on in that house!?

The launch of their single Stranger Danger in May filled the upstairs of The Tote with thrilling, snarling menace. Lead singer Oisin Kelly prowled half naked around the room and flailed maniacally, convulsing with the moshpit. There was so much intensity in the room that the walls were sweating and a growling cover of The Human League's Don't You Want Me was the punk-cherry on top.

They might play loud and belligerent surf rock'n'roll, and claim to be your worst nightmare, but secretly they're really nice guys (Shhh, don't tell them I told you!). Horace Bones' second EP is coming out in October, which no doubt means more gigs.

Kate Kingsmill

Sons Of Rico

Why this band isn't one of the bigger pop-rock outfits in the nation, and making a name for themselves overseas as well, is just one of those great mysteries of modern music. Forming in Perth in the mid-2000s, the band released their superb debut album Reactions in late 2010.

They topped this record in every imaginable way in 2013 with the fantabulous-but-truly underappreciated gem of a second album In Rico Glaciers, which straddles the line between pop and rock to shimmering perfection, with superbly crafted songs, old school-but-crystal clear production and a superb performance on guitar and vocals from main man Alex MacRae.

The band have since relocated to Melbourne and gone through some fairly major line-up changes, but last week saw the release their new EP Cool Change, which showed Sons Of Rico still truly define the term 'underrated'.

Rod Whitfield

Kaiit

Gracing the soul scene with her scalding-hot vocals and ice-cool exterior is absolute queen, Kaiit. There's no time to sleep on this local songstress — with the combo of her delicious voice and jazz-soaked R&B beats, she's set to melt even the hardest of hearts in Melbourne and beyond in the blink of an eye.

For a tasty treat of what this neo-soul sister is all about, check out her latest release, Natural Woman. It's a track boasting bite and bliss well beyond her years, and is accompanied by a minty-fresh video clip to set the vibe into red-hot overdrive. She's been hitting up Melbourne's favourite local music hubs, such as Gallery at Ferdydurke, for some spicy solo sets, but heads to The Gasometer Hotel on 11 Aug with a live band to help elevate her huge new tracks to the next level. 

With a captivating stage presence and an astoundingly effortless vocal delivery, she possesses a poise onstage that's truly hard to come by. This girl is destined for big things, so get yourself some tickets and come kick it with Kaiit!

Natasha Pinto

Winterplan

If you're a fan of moody, European-influenced synth-pop then look no further than local quartet Winterplan. Comprised of friends Dave Tran, Jules Boyle, Clara Tran and Pip MacKay, Winterplan are a dynamic live act that's been making electrifying music together for a number of years. Influenced by '80s European electronica (New Order, Kraftwerk), modern synth sounds (Ladytron, The Knife) and the fragile world around them, Winterplan are producing thrilling pop music that's the ideal soundtrack for our coming dystopian future.

Having released their criminally overlooked debut album Fight/Flight in 2015, Winterplan returned this year with follow-up EP Rigamortis. Released independently in June, the medically themed seven-track EP is spearheaded by the brooding European synth thumper, Rigamortis. Described by the band on their Facebook page as a "rumination of human frailty and finality", the EP is a pulsating collection of icy soundscapes and synth-heavy premonitions, highlighting Winterplan's evolution as a band. Displaying a newfound maturity in their songwriting and a knack for catchy arrangements, Winterplan have positioned themselves well for a crack at becoming Australia's next big electronic act.

Tobias Handke

The Burnt Sausages

There are plenty of reasons to take up music; artistic expression, stardom, rebellion. You want to make new friends, or meet hotties with bodies. Maybe you just like dragging amps all over town for minimal fiscal reward - the motives are endless. That's why, when people buy their first second-hand Chinese Strat knock-off and stumble through the opening chords of Wish You Were Here with (rock)stars in their eyes, it can be easy to forget that deep down music is entertainment.

The Burnt Sausages will never ever have that problem.

When Snagz, Johnny Charcoal and Tina Tongs took up their instruments/utensils, donned their homemade sausage costumes and coined "BBQ punk", they created something special. Their live show is pure drama, with back-up dancers, costume changes, saucy pom-poms and explosive choreography. An homage to a Hunters & Collectors classic, Throw Your (Bread) Arms Around Me, reveals the epic love between Bread, a dude dressed in a giant foam slice of Coles' white, and Snagz, who delivers her vocals with a gleefully contorted face. They count into each song with a "bun, bun, bun, two, three, sauce" (did we mention the puns? There are puns), before electric drums kick in on Tina Tongs' GrillMaster (keyboard) and Johnny Charcoal knocks out rough'n'ready riffs on his giant plastic fork.

They're dags, dressed as snags, and they put on a fucking show.

Sam Wall

Amyl & The Sniffers

Amyl & The Sniffers are the first band you want to see on a line-up and the last people you want to steal a pushie from. They’re a throwback to a time when the coke was cheap, the choice of beer was VB or fuck off and the only acceptable look was ‘business in the front, party in the back’.

Their first EP Giddy Up was available on Bandcamp about five hours after they formed with their follow-up Big Attraction appearing last Feb. In the 12 months since, A&TS have taken the bludgeoning energy that lit up their debut and put an edge on it. By all accounts, their live shows are as potent as their namesake, and just as likely to kill off a few excess brain cells.

Amy ‘Amyl’ Taylor’s lyrics are equal parts crude sexuality and crude language, howled in the kind of slurred western suburbs accent that puts the fear in people on public transport. Clear highlights include “People look at me like I am a hooker, but I just want to be a venue booker, I’m not a loser… My room mates think that I am a cunt, but I pay my rent ev-ery month, I’m not a loser” and “rack up, moll (sniff sniff)”.

Their pub-sharpie-punk rock is bloody good craic, and we aren’t the only ones who think so - in addition to recently being picked up by Premier Artists, they’ve just been announced for BIGSOUND. Keep an eye out for their tour later this month.

Sam Wall