Melbourne’s Winterpark will play a special Valentine’s Day single launch on Saturday 14 February at the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne. Playing tracks from their second album, Falling Men and Flying Dreams, which was released in late 2008 via MGM Distribution, Winterpark returns to the live scene following a successful east coast tour. Mixed by Casey Rice (Dirty Three/Tortoise/Grand Salvo) and mastered by Roger Siebel (!!!/Death Cab for Cutie/Modest Mouse), Falling Men and Flying Dreams takes the listener across contrasting musical landscapes that have been described by critics as ‘vast airy landscapes’, ‘tart, affectionate tunes’, and ’swirling nu-gaze’.
Ulrich Schnauss / Stars I love this guy’s production and aesthetic. He creates churning layered soundscapes, with soft but driving electronic beats. It’s sort of a bit like My Bloody Valentine meets Pink Floyd in Berlin, which has got to be a good thing.
Hailing from Australia’s Gold Coast, but currently based on the mean streets of Baltimore, The Death Set have gained an infamous international reputation for their frenzied live performances and their exciting 2008 debut album, Worldwide. They will be returning home to Australia this month for a string of performances, including shows in Sydney and Melbourne, as supporting slots for indie-pop sensation, Santogold, who recently lauded The Death Set in NME magazine, saying: ‘It’s so cool, really punk rock and electronic and also reminds me of Joy Division’.
Daedelus / Fair Weather Friends This tune is my one for 2008. It’s so catchy, it stoops! It’s best for curing a foul mood and best for playing to watch heads bop. I love the sampling and the devious simplicity of it all.
Comprised of the fantastically flamboyant, charismatic Argentinian frontman Sebastian Muravchik and British keyboard mastermind Ali Renault, Heartbreak have developed a growing gang of devotees thanks to their debut single, We’re Back, and electrically charged live shows, which blur the boundaries between live music and religious experience. Christened ‘metalo’, the pair’s unique sound combines the high drama and melodic charm of early 80s Italian disco (the European counterpart to New York’s movement) with the dark, brooding energy of metal bands like Black Sabbath, as reflected on their debut album, Lies [out now on Lex through Inertia].
Florio Time DJ / Time Out We first heard this on one of DJ Intergalactic Gary’s mixes a while ago. This is, in our opinion, a very special Italo disco track. It has a genius fretless-bass lick on it that makes you cry and a Euro-sounding rap that goes something like: ‘come on boys, come on girls, lets all dance to the music of your mouth’. At least, that’s what it sounds like.
My Secret Playlist is a music discovery website and weekly email publication. We invite our favourite bands and musicians to give us the rundown on their eight favourite songs right now. These are their words on the music that inspires them.
