Bobbysix exclusive! Holland live video clip.

After the ridiculously grand, bloated and back-slapping affair that was yesterday's ARIAs, we felt we should counterbalance things by bringing you some good, honest, home-grown emerging sounds. Something unpretentious and free from fanfare. Therefore, we'd like to introduce you to Holland, who might just be one of the Australian music scene’s best kept secrets.

Named after the legendary early 70’s recording by the Beach Boys and hailing from Brisbane, the four-piece are being compared to Band of Horses, City and Colour, Elbow & Badly Drawn Boy, yet look like they should be playing rock and roll... ("beardcore" our our friends at Twenty-Two just called them)

Check out the above clip - which is a Bobbysix exclusive by the way - and keep an eye out over the next little while for an interview with the band and also the chance to win their new EP. Oh, and if you live in Aus, then you can see them live at one of the following venues.

HOLLAND TOUR DATES
Saturday 3 December - Jive Bar, Adelaide
Friday 9 December – The Hi Fi, Brisbane
Saturday 10 December - The Hi Fi, Melbourne
Thursday 15 December - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Friday 16 December - The Loft, Gold Coast
Saturday 17 December - Sol Bar, Maroochydoore
Sunday 18 December - Old Museum, Brisbane

Wavves - King of The Beach

Nathan Williams - who goes by the name Wavves - returns with a new record that, rather than being home-recorded in fits and spurts on a laptop as his previous recordings were, was put together over three months at a studio in Mississippi with Modest Mouse producer Dennis Herring and Jay Reatard’s backing band. The result is a less distorted album that still manages to retain his grungy, surf sound.

At its best, King Of The Beach’s Californian punk-pop lands satisfactorily between The Beach Boys and The Jesus and Mary Chain. “You’re never gonna stop me,” yells Williams over the album’s irrepressible title track that opens proceedings thrillingly. In spite of this triumphant start, Williams’ lyrics - presumably gleaned from the bottom of a bong - are generally self-hating and riddled with almost caricatured slacker angst. “I’m an idiot,” he whines. “My own friends hate me/But I don’t give a shit.” All of this is kinda appealing in small doses - and will tap into the mindset of young teens with a chip on their shoulder - but those who have been there and done that when grunge first came about might find it hard to empathise with William’s rather tenuous attempts at loserdom.

However, there are undoubtedly a couple of absolutely belting tunes on King Of The Beach. When Williams’ slacker vibe is more focused on having fun than feeling like the world is out to get him, it’s really infectious and makes you want to cruise around in the sunshine with a bag of weed in your pocket and a couldn’t-give-a-fuck attitude.