We’ve got your weekend soundtrack sorted…

We’ve reached the end of the week, and with it we’ve rounded up another five homegrown tunes for your listening pleasure. It’s honestly kind’ve hard keeping up with it all, but alas, it’s a burden we’re more than happy to bear. And so, we won’t waste any time. Five fire tracks by local artists, coming right up!

The Belligerents (Brisbane/Meanjin) – ‘9 Times Out of 10’

Brissy five-piece The Belligerents drop some indie-dance goodness on their latest release ‘9 Times Out of 10’, the lead single off their upcoming EP Another Way of Living (out March 25th) filled with enough airy-goodness to give you a head-start on the weekend.

Frontman Lewis Stephensen opens the track with some soulful vocals that strike a nice balance between rock and pop-centric. The arrival of the hurtling guitar riffs atop the blaring Korg MS-20 synth add a growing anticipation to the tune, one that’s nicely enhanced by the chant like hook “9 times out of ten” as Stephenson sings about pleading to be understood by a lover following a relational fallout, all the while admitting that he’s not perfect. The added intersection of vocal delays, echos and several other vocal effects really helps dial up the overall trippiness of the tune, so much so that you get a bit dizzy trying to keep up with the frontman amongst all the musical madness.

It’s a feel-good offering that’ll no doubt put a spring in your step this Friday, and is a promising sign for the group’s upcoming EP Another Way of Living.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf2YhViihS0

Lolita Mae (Sydney/Eora) – ‘Voodoo Drip’

Lolita Mae crafts a hypersonic ballad in her latest release ‘Voodoo Drip’, the Eora dream-pop muso curating an auditory embodiment of catharsis and metamorphosis.

The new offering sees the rising singer-songwriter hurtle waves of euphoria at her sonic canvas, vibrant synths and cyberpunk-reminiscent drums colliding beneath her fiery vocals. Speaking of which, she really showcases her range in this cut, soaring from her head to chest voice with total ease, most notably on the title lyric “Voodoo Drip”. The track as a whole is a unique love-letter to staying true to one’s creative self, tinged with plenty of emotion and heartache from past experiences.

Feeling a bit lost or just doubting what you’re putting into the world at the moment? Take Lolita’s lead, and just let all that bad voodoo drip away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mszsG_XiZso

LNG (Melbourne/Naarm) – ‘Attached To Me’

LNG arrives on the scene with equal measures of silk and suave on his debut single ‘Attached To Me’, the burgeoning R&B star making his mark on the treasure trove that is the Naarm music sphere.

The R&B gem is made up of airy synths and slick baselines, reminiscent of an After Hours era The Weeknd but with an even more retro sonic palette. The energy levels are especially high in this cut, the track dipping its toes into the dance sphere while still having elements of balladry present through. The production as a whole is tempered perfectly to the feel-good vibe of the tune, and strikes a nice mid-way between salient and minimal as his vocals are allowed to further the emotion and overall immersion of the tune, most notably at 1:50 on the line “You’ll be fine.”

Definitely a worthy track to kickstart a discography with, and it’s another reminder of just how special the Naarm music scene is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP4zJMiCsGI

PANIA (Melbourne/Naarm) – ‘tiki’

Alt-R&B artist PANIA oozes plenty of sensuality and breeze in her latest offering ‘tiki,’ the Naarm soul-vocalist continuing to flesh out the distinct lane of dance-hall and R&B she’s carved out all for her own.

The track sees the starlet put those buttery-vocals she first put the R&B scene on notice with to task, singing about the crazy highs associated with lust and desire. Her vocals’ collision with the frenetic synths and lush drum sounds embed a sense of danger to the overall track, a sentiment enhanced by the accompanying visuals as she crafts a visual embodiment of love in the club. Usually, with a track of such thematic flavouring, it’d be easy for it to feel reminiscent of another artist who’s already done it before, but ‘tiki’ feels distinctly fresh, a testament to just how unique PANIA is as an artist.

She’s definitely established her own corner of the R&B soundscape with ‘tiki’, and it’s safe to say she’s quickly becoming one of the leading figures of the scene with each and every release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FCN2KnMvXk

Hollie Col (Sydney/Eora) – ‘Seasick’

Hollie Col hits you with an overflow of sun-infused pop in ‘Seasick’, the multi-instrumentalist muso doubling down on her folk-pop influences for an easygoing tune about star-crossed love and all of the complications inherent to such a dynamic.

Beginning with a bubbly guitar-line that pays homage to folk-pop mainstays like HAIM and Soccer Mommy, the track sets a clear expectation of what to expect from it sonically. Despite the intricacy of the instrumentation however, the accompanying textures are minimal enough to let her lyricism and folky-tune shine through, while helping to drive the overall energy of the tune forward. The accompanying clip mirrors the narrative of the track with vivid precision, the vibrant colour-grade and cinematic shooting style helping it to double as a music video and self-contained story.

Definitely a feel-good offering that manages to pack a hell of a punch both musically, lyrically and visually, and it’s got us keen for the starlet’s forthcoming Julia Stevens EP, which drops on April 15th.