Bridezilla return with new single

We've been raving about Bridezilla since the dawn of time. Well, actually since we first chanced upon them as a bunch of dorky-yet-seriously-fucking-cool teenagers playing at Candy's Apartment in King's Cross in 2006. Since that moment, we've basically bent the ear of anyone who would or wouldn't listen about the Sydney band's total awesomeness. So you might have been wondering what the heckins has happened to them lately. It has, after all, been a little quiet on the Bridezilla front.

Well, after gaining acclaim, touring Australia, the UK and the US and releasing an EP and an album, the five-piece have indeed been laying low for a couple of years and doing their own thang - indivdual music projects and the like. Drummer Josh is in the band Pear Shaped, vocalist Holiday has been doing all kinds of interesting solo stuff, as have Daisy, Millie and Pia. Now, however, a bit like The Avengers, they are ready to re-join forces and return with their brand new single, Snakes and Ladders.

We're told that the single is taken from a to-be-released EP. The idea that there is even more Bridezilla goodness to follow has got us a little weak at the knees. For now though, you'll have to make do with just the one track. Listen to it below, courtesy of our mates over at Mess and Noise.

Words and photo by Bobby Townsend.

Emperor the Stag - Swan

Despite sharing a name with the 9ft tall beast of Exmoor whose sizeable nut ended up as a trophy on the wall of a Devon hotel, Eastbourne four-piece Emperor the Stag are alive and well and earning their reputation as one to watch in 2012.

Released on Stop Thinking Records, new single Swan is a guitar-led belter - reminiscent of the likes of Elbow or Doves - with frontman Nick Webb displaying a knack for delivering lines that stick: “I broke my neck for you swan, I tried to let the distance make our hearts grow fond.” 

The result is a confident follow up to last year’s Deceitful Doe EP which sees Emperor the Stag progress their sound, without sacrificing their own style.

It’s a band worth checking out, so drag yourself to itunes and pick up a digital copy.

Words by Andy James.

Sui Zhen - Cupboards and Sand

We love Sui Zhen here at the B6, so got all giddy when the former Sydneysider and current Melbourne resident sent us her brand new song. Following on from Little Frog, which was released in December 2011, Cupboards and Sand is the second single from her upcoming album, Two Seas.

To be released in May 2012, Two Seas features production by Tony Dupe (Holly Throsby, Jack Ladder) and is the sound of a maturing songwriter,  featuring carefully crafted country and folk-inspired songs, the intricate detailing of the instrumental arrangements creating the perfect landscape for Sui Zhenʼs vocals which have been described as sounding like an ʻadolescent wildcatʼ.

Can't wait for her album? Well, check out her new song below and get along to one of her single launches. She'll be at Dexterʼs Bar in Melbourne on March 16, at FBi Social in Sydney on March 21 with extra dates in Brisbane and regional areas to be announced.

Wolf & Cub release double A-side single and announce launch shows

Two years since the release of their acclaimed second album Science and Sorcery, Adelaide's Wolf & Cub are back with a double A-side single featuring the tracks See The Light and All Through The Night, available now, exclusively through iTunes and Bandcamp. Because we are nice to you, you can stream the little blighters here on Bobbysix.com too. Just at the bottom of this post, in fact.

Produced, recorded and mixed by studio wunderkind Burke Reid (Gareth Liddiard, Jack Ladder, Dan Kelly) at Big Jesus Burger in Sydney, both See The Light and All Through The Night offer documented aural proof of an evolving band. See The Light is primarily driven by a snaky bass line, the reverb rich vocals deliver a subtle but persuasive hook tempered by chiming delayed guitars. Meanwhile, All Through The Night is dreamy pop floating on a fragile falsetto vocal, with amphetamine bass pulse, broad sonic guitar brush strokes and sparse drumming.

See The Light//All Through The Night Single Launch Shows:
Fri – 9 Mar - Arcade Lane - Adelaide (Moshtix: 1300 438 849 www.moshtix.com.au)
Sat – 24 Mar - The Espy – Melbourne (www.espy.com.au)
Thu – 5 Apr - GoodGod - Sydney (Moshtix: 1300 438 849, www.moshtix.com.au)
 

Sui Zhen and Rainbow Chan double single launch

If you like your music honest and  inventive, then you'd do well to check out Sui Zhen (Melbourne) and Rainbow Chan (Sydney), who are teaming up to launch their respective singles from forthcoming albums. Sui Zhen's Little Frog takes a sideways look at her folk and country influences placing her somewhere between Joanna Newsom and PJ Harvey with stark and intricate arrangements produced by Tony Dupe (Holly Throsby, Jack Ladder). After her self-titled debut EP in 2007, Sui Zhen has earned a reputation for compelling, down-to-earth performances, supporting international acts such as Coco Rosie, our old mate Kimya Dawson, The Brunettes, and miserablist genius Malcolm Middleton. Little Frog is Sui Zhen's first release since returning from prestigious Red Bull Music Academy in London, 2010, and she will be accompanied by a live band for these special shows.

Rainbow Chan's Sweet Tooth is a sensual collage of strange and dreamy vocals and skittering electronic samples produced by the lady herself in her bedroom studio. Classically trained in saxophone, piano and choral music and fresh from playing at the Iceland Airwaves Festival thanks to FBi's Northern Lights Competition, Rainbow uses the darkest of beats, field recordings and a beguiling vocal delivery to craft intricate left-field pop songs. An impressive one-woman show, her live set includes a cover of The Cardigans' Lovefool.

Watch Sui Zhen's handmade music video here  and Watch Rainbow Chan covered in 16L of melting ice cream in her wonderfully weird video for Sweet Tooth here.

SUI ZHEN AND RAINBOW CHAN - DOUBLE SINGLE LAUNCH
JAN 19, THE GRACE DARLING, MELBOURNE
JAN 20, FBi SOCIAL, SYDNEY

Gotye returns with new single

A few years back, songwriter, producer and all-round one-man band Gotye, otherwise known as Wally De Backer, came up with an album that really struck a chord. His beautifully crafted Like Drawing Blood was highly placed in BobbySix.com's 2006 end of year top ten, was voted Triple J listeners' favourite album of 2006 and iTunes UK's Album Of The Year in 2008. In 2007, he won the ARIA Award as Australia's Best Male Artist.

It seems like forever since Like Drawing Blood was released so - considering it was on constant rotation at Bobby Six Towers for a long time - it is to some excitement that news arrives of a forthcoming release. Yes, in early 2011 there will finally be a new Gotye long-player and, to whet our appetites, single Eyes Wide Open is available for a limited time as a free download from his website.

Written, performed, recorded and produced by the multi-talented multi-tasker, this single combines pedal steel guitar, cello moans, bass tones sampled from the Winton Musical Fence in outback Queensland and sounds created in the home studio built by his father. The result proves that, while remaining boundary-pushing and inventive, Gotye sure as hell knows how to pen a catchy tune.

Download it here for free. Don't delay though, it won't be available forever.

Monday Music - The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger and Israel Cannan

Urrgh, Mondays. The abrupt rattle of the alarm clock, the crowded bus, the bleary-eyed trudge into the office. The remedy? Maybe a bit of gentle acoustic music. A couple of tracks landed in BobbySix.com's inbox over the weekend. So what else to do with them but share?

First up, The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, comprised of Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl. If you like their sweet sound, then you can start saving your pennies for their debut album, Acoustic Sessions, released on October 26th. If you're in London then you can catch them this Wednesday at The Roundhouse.

Next, Israel Cannan. For those of you who are of the Jack Johnson persuasion, this might be up your alley. It lacks a bit of edge as far as we're concerned at BobbySix Towers, but, you know, this kinda thing sure floats enough people's boats, so, on this occasion, we'll let you be the judge of whether it is any good or not.

Arcade Fire - Ready To Start

After what seems like an age, Arcade Fire are set to release their new album next month. A few tracks have been doing the rounds of late, including Ready To Start. While there is a lovely melody to this new single, it does feel slightly restrained and ends up falling a little flat. Sure, it builds and builds in the way Arcade Fire do so well, but, just when you think you are going to be smashed around the face with one of those huge, rousing choruses, it never materialises.

Still, although it's more in the vein of Keep The Car Running than the steamrollering magnificence of No Cars Go, it does enough to whet the appetite for the upcoming LP.