LISTEN 2: Hostile Little Face - Blueprint EP

If you like American punk rock acts such as Yellowcard, Jimmy Eat World and Hawthorn Heights, then this is the Perth band for you. They aren't doing anything daring or unique, but their songs are catchy, clean and will have you reminiscing about your lost youth. The latest Hostile Little Face recording, Blueprint is built of five beautifully constructed tunes. And I do mean beautiful. "Return To Sender" will have you clutching your chest, singing along in your living room and gracefully waving your cigarette lighter at your stereo speakers. The rest of the EP is filled with more solid pop-punk numbers to keep you going. I'm not sure if it was their intention but I find it to be good driving music... I'm gonna go for a spin!

myspace.com/hostilelittleface

The Spitfires - Dead? Good! EP

The Spitfires - Dead? Good! EP

B52's meet Arctic monkeys, is my immediate thought when the riff from track 1 "Shallow Grave" fills my ear canal. Then the vocals come in and I find myself asking, why does this band from WA sound so British? After a little research I discover guitarist, singer, songwriter and somewhat eccentric front man Sean Regan isn't an Australian native. He wasn't born here and he definitely doesn't sound like he's from here, however after the last chorus from "Shallow Grave" rings out I can't help but feel optimistic about this WA based three piece.

Track 2 "Skeletons" picks up right where "Shallow Grave" left off. It's a catchy punk number with a British guitar twang and a sing-a-long chorus. Track 3 "Qui Aime Bien Chatie bien" is another example of the sound The Spitfires have mastered and by this song's end we realise this band isn't just guitar noise and British cross Aussie piss taking. Both Paul Bovenkerk (bass) and Alex Hay (drums) are a credit to the album, the drums keep the tunes pumping while the bass happily skips along dreamily.

The Spitfires

"Jumped" track 4, once again this tune has great guitar sounds and the right combination of tempo change. However the vocals and lyrics in this tune let it down a bit for me. How could this be you ask? Especially with lyrics such as "are you really depressed or what", "that's a nice haircut mate, do you reckon his mum cut it for him" and "grab a hold of my kebab Steve, no you can't have a bite". I'm sorry, I can't help but cringe. However once the final track "Ravensthorpe" kicks in you realise "Jumped" was necessary. If for nothing else than to bring your hopes down a little so "Ravensthorpe" can pick them up again and leave you with a good taste in your mouth. The riffs are, in my opinion, the best thing about The Spitfires. The bass lines and guitar riffs fit together perfectly. Sean Regan manages to make his guitar squeal and squirm and sound almost as eccentric and pissed off as his lyrics do, while the bass does its job keeping the guitar from being too over the top, serious and in your face. When focusing on the bass I can't help but imagine an out of context little boy skipping through the cobblestone streets trying to catch cauliflower moths. However all daydreaming aside, this is a brilliant EP from a great up and coming WA act. Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of Dead? Good! or download it from iTunes.

myspace.com/thesupermarinespitfires

Sneaky Weasel Gang at the Albany White Star

Sneaky Weasel Gang

 If you drive four and a half hours south from Perth you'll come to the not so sunny city of Albany. And if you venture out to see the nightlife you'll notice a few obscure things. Firstly the pubs turn into restaurants where they also happen to sell beer, the nightclub is the only nightclub and the 24 hour food option is a service station. Yet this is the biggest city in the region so you drag yourself to the only place bearable; The White Star Hotel.

The White Star Hotel, or more previously known as the Tanglehead brewery, which prior to that was known as The White Star Hotel, is the only venue in town promoting good live music every weekend. Since its recent take over they have had great WA acts with solid reputations through the doors. Most recently The Joe Kings, Homewbrewe, The Justin Walshe Folk Machine, The Caballeros, Optamus and Minute 36 have all played there.

So when the White Star shuts down its restaurant and charges an entry fee you know something special is going to take place. This particular Friday night it was The Sneaky Weasel Gang. If you haven't heard them before they describe their "grooves" as a diverse experience; "island beach party, to a smoky, funky blues dance and beyond". On this particular night they gave the crowd everything they asked for. The White Star bar is a large venue for Albany and The White Star Restaurant is even bigger, and still the Sneaky Weasel Gang managed to pull a substantial crowd. They tore through 3 massive sets of blues and funk with guitar leads and solos coming from every direction. The rhythm section was solid, the bass player and drummer felt like one unit with the sub boxes kicking you in the guts all night making sure you wouldn't fall asleep. If you did happen to close your eyes, you may be forgiven for thinking there were two guitarists and a second singer, but it was one man belting out lyrics while he strummed the hell out of his fender.

The Sneaky Weasel Gang are a well oiled machine. They have been touring up and down the state for a long time and it was no massive task for them to play all night. They finished up the night strong with a Jackson 5 cover before smashing out one more original piece. The $10 entry fee might have seemed steep for the local bogans but the people got their money's worth. When The Sneaky Weasel Gang come to your town, be sure to check them out.
Sneaky Weasel Gang - Myspace