This week on Auxdeck, we’ve brought you a little bit of everything. Bloody, raw, red hot emotion comes gushing out of our greeting song, but the issue then transitions into our next single, deliciously wrapped in a smooth, synthy something that makes it oh-so-sweet. A steamy and stripped-down melody comes next, and it’s all rounded out by some mellow, mid-nineties guitar magic. If you have to ask, we’re sure you’ll love them as much as we do.
-Andrew
Repetitive? Yes.
Brash? Yep.
Wildly talented? Oh, hell yes. Melbourne 5 piece Darts aren’t afraid to lay it all on the line – their raunchy style, turbulent attitude, and ear-splitting execution all smash together to form a prolific formula for some good old garage rock. Their sound feels like a vigorously shaken-up soda can, just waiting to explode onto whoever dares to puncture open their latest single, Westward Bound. A jarring, slapdash electric guitar cracks open the track, setting a rowdy scene for a quick, crashing drumbeat to provide the backbone of the track. Screaming, sonorous vocals give the track the extra shock it was searching for, piecing through the simple melodies and leaving a ragged, scorched earth behind them with every inflection. By the time the three minutes are up, you feel coated in engine exhaust and octane, and you can almost see the blown-out suburban speaker that was cranked up just a lot too high trying to blare out this single. A great track? You bet your life.
-Andrew Wilcox
Unfortunately this era of pop music is factory produced: start with a good looking kid, send to voice lessons, hire a 45 year old in Russia to write the song. Very little popular music on the radio is musicians getting together in a garage and writing rock songs, but Fauna Flora is just that. They are four guys from Lancaster, Pennsylvania getting together and doing something they love. Happy Hour, the featured track on their debut album Fauna Flora, is very rock. It has a definite early Smiths feel, starting with the fade into the song, continuing with the lead’s unique and soothing voice. Later in the song there is the rock songs key lead break. Overall this is a really lovely album that I would recommend to anyone.
-Delia Badger
Driving down open roads, with the the windows down, and your hair blowing in the breeze is the perfect picture this song paints. The vocals in 100 Degrees by Sweet Benfica are echoey and sound separated from instrumentation. The simplicity of the song makes it easy on the ear, so you can listen to it while in any mood. Bon Iver is the name that comes to mind when I hear their music. 100 Degrees is full of clever, sweet lyrics that do a great job of showing off the album’s soft side. Sweet Benfica is a good mix of indie rock and lo-fi slacker folk.
-Ruby Lainer
Engaging and invigorating, Living Zoo is exactly what indie rockers Built to Spill needed to kick-start their first studio album in six years. Bright and catchy twin guitar riffs grab your attention right from the intro, which changes tempo three times, escalating the intensity and capturing energy reminiscent of late 90’s grunge-pop groups like Semisonic and The Strokes. Doug Martsch joins in with grainy, REM-esque vocals, complemented by a driving, snare-heavy drum part. The lyrics are subtly profound, discussing the innate, animalistic side of human nature (complete with a tiger growl), and the trapped sensations we all feel at some point. The human mind is a living zoo, full of energy, emotion, and impulse – exactly what Built to Spill conveys in this superb track.
-James Sutton
Aux Deck 