Live Review: Endless Boogie & Buried Feather

There's a supremely chilled, almost lazy vibe about the Tote tonight with most punters looking intent on chilling their way through the Easter break.

Melbourne four-piece Buried Feather have been gigging around town for some time now and perfecting their somewhat paisley psychedelic rock grooves. Their sound revolves around insistent motorik rhythms that move in repetitive but hypnotic circles while lead guitarist and vocalist Steve McLennan adds flourishes of songwriting. There's plenty of rumble to their sound; the guitars are distorted, loud and fuzzy while the vocals are dripping with reverb. Josh Moult on a Minimoog and electric organ gives the mix plenty of acidic squelch. It all adds up to a lush swirl of sound that rocks out whilst urging listeners to dance. Tonight the lads reveal that we can look forward to seeing the wraps come off their debut album in a few weeks' time. Judging from the tunes they play tonight, it is sure to make for interesting listening.

As if responding to the MC5's call to kick out the jams, New York's Endless Boogie bring the party when they take to the stage. Despite the veneer of boneheadedness that suggests these guys have perhaps had a little too much fun in one lifetime, this four-piece produce a tight squall of noise that demonstrates they really know how to cook. At their instrumental best they deliver a searing assortment of wild riffage that sounds like a kaleidoscopic mix of every hard rock band you have ever heard. At breakneck speed they fluidly shift from the blues to prog to garage to stoner to kosmische effortlessly, without the need to stop and take a breath. It is a haze of noise that is deeply indebted to the psychedelic sounds of the '70s.

Endless Boogie may play it loud but there is a softness about their sound that makes listening more inviting than the go-hard harshness of younger bands of the same ilk. It feels like they have played General Admission for almost 30 minutes and by this time almost everyone in the joint is lost in the music and has joined the party. Into his 60s, frontman Paul Major, aka Top Dollar, is a one scary caveman whose nasty growl is delivered with a smile. “We are going to take a smoke break and when we come back, we are gonna jack it up,” he promises as the band put down their instruments, much to everyone's surprise. Most punters move to the courtyard and light one up too. Thirty minutes later and they are back playing Taking Out The Trash, which morphs into the sublime The Savagist, proving why their new album Long Island makes for essential listening. In between songs they argue with audience members about the pronunciation of Melbourne. Eventually a slow jam chugs and builds into a wild crashing crescendo that brings down the night. After half an hour it all comes to an end too quickly and tonight the boogie hardly seems endless. The crowd demand more but Endless Boogie have left the building. Thankfully they will be back at the Tote again this Friday.