SINGLE OF THE WEEK

MISSION CONTROL – Innerspace EP

(etcetc/Universal)

Did someone slip me a really, really weak mickey? Namely an insubstantial but still perceptible hallucinogen in my coffee? Given that would be a really odd thing to do, not to mention I’m the only one here right now, I’m starting to doubt anyone actually did do that. Which means that it’s not a mild roofie, but Mission Control’s EP that’s

bringing a little future psychedelia into this suburban life. A wave-making Melbourne four-piece, Mission Control have channelled a bit of space age mysticism for their aptly named debut EP Innerspace, five delightfully fresh dance-rock tracks that seem to draw on influences like the Stone Roses (Innerspace), Cut Copy (Chariots Of Fire) and even Oasis, albeit via one of their Beatles jams (She Is The Future). Much like the poppier Teenager, Mission Control sound more likely to have emerged from an underground Parisian club than The Espy, so it’s pleasant but not shocking to discover that they’ve been taken under the presumably proverbial wing of Cassius member Philippe Zdar. Proving that some people do in fact still use MySpace, Zdar discovered the band on the site, let out an enthusiastic ‘Ooh la la!’ and has signed up to produce their first album, adding their name to a list that already includes Air, Phoenix and Daft Punk. Sacre bleu! If you’re after a promising new band to sink your ears into, you could do a lot worse than this lot.

BLUE KING BROWN – Moment Of Truth

(Roots Level Records)

All right readers, are you ready to be blown away by the use of a poetic device? I’m going to use the incredible power of metaphor to explain my perception of the Moment Of Truth, and indeed the song’s performers Blue King Brown. To me, Blue King Brown are like a... (whoops, that was very nearly a simile. Let me regather my thoughts.) Blue King Brown are a bottle of Breakfast Juice. That’s it. You see, I love juice. Many of you will also love juice. It’s tasty and healthy, and each different type of juice will suit a different time of the week. Need a sugar hit? You got apple. Got some gin with nothing else in? It’s time for orange. Had a big night? The tang of pineapple will set you straight. There’s also some rippers of juice combos. But then you’ve got your breakfast juice, that dark orange concoction that’s got apple, orange, mango, kiwifruit, banana (!!), maybe some berries, why not a bit of peach, and who knows what else? Blue King Brown are Breakfast Juice. There’s so much thrown into Moment Of Truth – a dollop of soul, a scoop of roots, a trickle of rock, a quarter cup of reggae, not to mention a big ole bunch of vague political protest just against the wrongs of the world) – that when it glugs out of the bottle into your glass, so to speak, it’s got that generally sweet taste of fruit, but nothing as thrilling as any of those flavours by themselves. It’s Breakfast Juice, and while it’s ok, I don’t know anyone whose first choice is Breakfast Juice. Metaphor, you’ve done us proud.

EPICURE – Snakes And Foxes

(Down In Flames)

Epicure are one of those long running bands who have consistently been putting out quality material, but for whatever reason have never really climbed above that level where you stop having to rack your brains, trying to remember which songs of theirs you like. Snakes And Foxes is their latest from this field, a tender, then blustery, rock track about an abusive relationship that for better or worse pulls up abruptly around the two and a half minute mark, just when another couple of repeated choruses and a guitar solo could have taken it from articulate rock gem to wider-appealing potential anthem. However, with its familiar quiet-soft power dynamic, and vocals that are surprisingly Fanningesque, don’t be surprised if in the coming months Snakes And Foxes is most often identified as ‘that new Powderfinger song’.

GREG CERRONE feat. CLAUDIA KENNAUGH – Pilling Me

(Sexosonic)

Frankenstein’s monster. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Kyle Sandilands. Humankind has been responsible for creating some of the world’s most horrific, terrorising monsters in history. This week Greg Cerrone joins the ranks of Mary Shelley, Ray Stantz and Austereo’s managing numbskulls by releasing unto the world Pilling Me. Think of the Bodyrockers’ guitar-infused dance anthem I Like The Way You Move, stripped of any guiltily energetic fun, and replaced with a synth that sounds like someone squeaking a balloon. Now, just throw in an out of context ecstasy reference, plus a clip featuring a collection of actual FHM and Playboy covergirls (I’m not joking) writhing around with guitars between their generic boobs, and you’ve created an offensively sterile and unimaginably misguided club track that successfully saps the holy trio of sex, drugs and rock and roll of all their respective joys in one go. It’s easy as a critic to occasionally go over the top in lambasting something that just isn’t your cup of tea ... but I’m not doing that when I inform you that this is pure evil.

CUT OFF YOUR HANDS – Expectations

(Speak N Spell)

A couple of promising EPs in, and the bright-eyed Cut Off Your Hands boys have ridden their indie pop steamboat along a well worn path, first from New Zealand to the fancy Aussie neighbours next door, and now all the way over to the antipodean-infested London. With their first album all done and waiting in boxes for consumers, word back from their new home is that the boys have been creating a bit of a buzz. Of course, it takes little more than wearing a scarf for a new band to ‘create a buzz’ in the fickle London media. However, working with ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler and bringing out some fast-paced, catchy-enough powerpop like Expectations is a sign that this ‘buzz’ might actually be resulting from some people with good taste liking their tunes. It’s colourful, bouncy and absolutely full of cheeky rock intentions, and while Expectations itself mightn’t be the most memorable indie pop song of the year, an album of this quality will continue to increase these guys’ rep.

COG – Are You Interested?

(Difrnt Music)

“Yes they’re making lists / Are you interested?”, Cog warn over the top of their noisy prog, getting their message out there again, that people in a sleepless hypertense state of paranoia still aren’t nearly paranoid enough. It’s funny they should ask the question though, because as it happens, I love lists, and I’m very interested. I’ve actually created one of my own especially for Cog. It’s called The Mine’s On The 45’s List Of Things I Think When Listening To Cog.

(1) Everything on the internet is real. (2) I bet that fridge calendar from my Local Member has the days and dates misaligned, so on voting day I get mixed up and my voice is silenced. (3) If prog metal is progressive, I think I prefer reg metal. Or wait, have I been brainwashed to think that? (4) Stop thinking of crap jokes – be more

earnest! (5) I wonder if the dudes from Cog and Thirsty Merc call each other before the ARIAs to make sure they don’t have matching facial hair.

SIMON TOPPER

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