The figurative dark horse of tonight’s bill, eclectic indie-rockers Stemford Hiss, however, nevertheless stake their claim as one of the night’s stand-out acts with enthusiasm – bruising funk-inflected rhythms, textured space-rock synthesisers amplifying the band’s vibrant and exploratory songwriting with enviable grace. The vast array of influences on display in free-wheeling numbers like ‘The Stopper’ makes it difficult to even assign one specific genre to the band. It’s only the unpretentious and unadulterated charisma of their performance that even marks Stemford Hiss’ set as that of a rock band (albeit quite an exceptional one).
Stemford Hiss are currently writing and recording and will not be playing any foreseeable shows until January
..EP "HALLS" NOW AVAILABLE>> If you would like to order a copy of the EP, you can purchase one from RockingHorse Records or you may send us a message via myspace with your address details. Alternatively, you can contact Stemford Hiss at 'trent@aircastle.com.au' or 'david.irving@deta.qld.gov.au' if you have any questions
Brisbane outfit Toy Balloon will release their debut album Toy Division on
November 8 through Lofly Records, and to celebrate will perform an east coast
launch tour throughout November.
Formed in 2007, Toy Balloon was
originally a fledgling two-piece made up by Nimai Etheridge’s uniquely melodic
wall-of-sound guitar and Greg Cooper’s beautiful sequenced electronic
compositions. The band have since matured into a four piece featuring Chloe
Cooper (Mr Maps) on key boards and Ben Green on drums.
The album was
recorded and mixed at the Lofly Hangar in Brisbane, a DIY performance space that
Toy Balloon has been an integral part of creating. Fostering emerging artists
and left-of-centre music, the Hangar acts as a performance space, recording
studio, and meeting place; and has resulted in a record with a rich, layered
sound reminiscent of New Order, Mogwai, Boards of Canada, and LCD
Soundsystem.
Catch Toy Balloon launch Toy Division at a venue near you
this Oct/ November.
TOY BALLOON TOUR DATES:
Brisbane- Thursday 29
October- The Zoo, Fortitude Valley w/ Moon Jog, Tin Can Radio and Doom
Doom.
Sydney- Wednesday 4 November- ‘Upstarts’ at Spectrum, Darlinghurst
w/ Convaire and Black Bear Brown Bear
Sydney- Thursday 5 November- Oxford
Arts Factory, Darlinghurst w/ World Champion and others
Melbourne-
Saturday 7 November- Pony, Melbourne w/ Love Connection and
Aoi
Melbourne- Sunday 8 November- El Joyero, Melbourne
Toy
Division is released November 6 on Lofly Records, with distribution through MGM.
"...it’s like Kid Strange and Urban Blitz from the Doctors of Madness at
their most morose played Overhang Party, or a mogadon’d Peter Hammill
jamming with Van Der Graaf’s Graham Smith. Elsewhere, the singular
desolation is most reminiscent of the most down down moments of Nico’s
THE MARBLE INDEX or even of Jesse Colin Young’s The Youngbloods at
their most mercurial. But the Scrapes are still so original their music
ultimately don’t sound like nobody but themselves." Julian Cope
..
