Egoism - Sorry

Now this is a song that ticks all of our metaphorical boxes. Egoism are a dreampop duo from Sydney comprising Olive Rush & Scout Eastment, and make the sort of breezy shoegaze that gets us giddy with excitement. Their new single is "Sorry", which is an infectious song that calls to mind elements of Alvvays, School of Seven Bells & The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, and combines them into one lush package. It's a great song, and when the blasts of guitar come in after 50 seconds, it put the song very much in the realms of our favourite song of the year to date.

"Sorry" is out now.

Confidence Man - Bubblegum

Normally, when we write about new songs and bands that we like on The Metaphorical Boat, we very much hope to see the band do very well, very quickly, and that the band in question end up becoming a much bigger deal over the coming months. However, for our own selfish reasons, there is a reason why we don't want band responsible for the song we are writing about today to become massive, at least for the next few months or so.

We'll get on to that later, but for now it's time to introduce to you the Australian four-piece Confidence Man. They've already captured hearts Down Under, being named a One To Watch by Triple J off the back of their single "Boyfriend (Repeat)". However, it is their latest single "Bubblegum", which came to our attention through our friend at Breaking More Waves, which has got us really excited indeed.

Why? Because it the kind of bonkers, hyperactive, cut & paste pop that we absolutely love to pieces. As well as calling to mind artists mentioned elsewhere, like The Go! Team, and Deee-Lite (it's been called by some as a modern-day updating of "Groove Is In The Heart), it also reminds us very much of The Asteroids Galaxy Tour in how its constituent parts slip and slide out as the song progresses. We are also convinced that the song's chorus samples "Hello" by fellow Antipodeans The Cat Empire, another pop song that we really love, although this is mere speculation on our part. It's a joyously fun song, and one that stands a fairly strong chance at being our #1 song come the close of 2017. We very rarely listen to songs on repeat, but "Bubblegum" is a very welcome exception.

So in spite of our love of "Bubblegum", why do we not want to see Confidence Man to hit the stratosphere in the short term? Simple - they're playing The Great Escape this year, and given how incredibly infectious their sound is, we're worried that if they get too big too soon, then we won't be able to get in to see them in Brighton in May. A bit selfish, we know, but when you've got a sound as fun as this, you really want to see it at the earliest possibly opportunity. So Confidence Man, if you do intend to becoming the biggest band in the world, could you possibly wait until around June time, pretty please? If you continue to grace us with boppers like "Bubblegum", there's a great chance it could happen.

"Bubblegum" is out now on Heavenly Recordings (the home of St Etienne & Hooton Tennis Club, among others)

Ella Fence - Unknown Water

(Alternative title: "Why do I always discover great Australian musicians whilst queuing for sausages, Part 2")

So The Great Escape is well an truly over for another year, so if you wanted to see all the best new music coming through at the moment in one easy to navigate town, then you'll have to wait until May again for another opportunity. But that doesn't mean that there's still isn't music from the festival that we're yet to discover. There were some acts that we didn't come across until after they'd performed, whose music we've then come to enjoy.

As mentioned in our round-up of TGE from Saturday, the Australian delegation hit upon the best idea to encourage as many people as possible to come down to their showcase in Brighton at Concorde 2, in spite of it being the most out-of-reach location at the festival (it's about a 15 minute walk from the next closest venue). Every year, they put on a barbecue with free food for any of the attendees, so you can gnash down a lovely bit of meat whilst enjoying the music on offer. It might be a move that appeals to humanity's most base instincts, but gosh darn it, it works, for just like in 2014, it convinced me to make the journey down. And whilst the journey down there was worth it for Kim Churchill alone (the artist who was the undoubted highlight of the weekend for me), there was one other Australian artist that I discovered whilst there, and did so under rather familiar circumstances.

Back in 2014, I blogged about Aussie duo Microwave Jenny after striking up a conversation with them whilst queuing up for an Australian taco (a hot dog using a pan loaf instead of a bun). Two years later, I struck up a conversation with an Australian girl whilst the both of us were waiting to get some food. I don't know why it always seems to happen there, I'm guessing it's either because a) I'm an incredibly approachable person (and even more so when I'm wearing my awesome Totoro hoodie), or b) Australians are just the loveliest, friendliest people in the world. Based on experience, It's almost definitely b).

During our conversation, I learned that she was Ella Fence, who had been touring Europe as part of the Australian delegation, and although she wasn't performing at the Aussie BBQ, she had played in Brighton at the Alternative Great Escape on the Thursday. After talking about her music and how her tour was going (she's currently playing live as a three-piece band, although has her heart set on playing with a string section at some point in the future), I agreed to check out her music once I returned home.

Now that I've had a chance to give her music a thorough listen, I can confirm that her music is indeed rather fine. Take "Unknown Water", which was released as a single last years. Produced by Dan Smith, who's also worked with Passenger and Snow Patrol, it is an fine example of epic, cinematic alt-pop in the vein of Florence & The Machine that builds up into a cataclysmic climax.

So if there are any lessons to be taken from this post, it's these:
1) Ella Fence is a great talent
2) Australians are lovely, and
3) Queuing for food offers a great, untapped opportunity to get people interested in your music.

"Unknown Water" is taken from the E.P "Wanderlust", which is out now.

Major Leagues - Someone Sometime

It's been a while since we heard some new music from our favourite Antipodean indie-poppers Major Leagues. The Brisbane four-piece are lining up to release their 2nd E.P, the follow-up to "Weird Season", which spawned the mighty "Endless Drain". The first song to be taken from the release "Someone Sometime" is more moderately paced than that track, but still contains the scuzzy guitars and bittered honey vocals that won us over to the band in the first place.

"Someone Sometime" will be released on 10th July.

Dirt Farmers - Alibi For The Silent Guy

A second trip to Melbourne in the space of a day? Why not?

Australian 5-piece Dirt Farmer are a blues country-rock band with a penchant for the sound of 60s and 70s Los Angeles. Their latest single is "Alibi For The Silent Guy", a song which sounds quite a bit like Alabama Shakes both in terms of their overall sound, and also in their vocal similarities (despite the gender flip). It's also got a pretty wonderful saxophone interlude, which has more than a little Clarence Clemons to it. You've got to love a band who make much which sounds so timeless.

"Alibi For The Silent Guy" is taken from their début album "Free BBQ", which is out now.

The Hunted Crows - Sniff You Out

For the second time this week, it's time to introduce a new rock duo hoping to follow in the wake of Royal Blood's success. This time, it's the turn of Melbourne based band The Hunted Crows. They've got quite an unusual set-up compared to other rock duos, given that it's their drummer who takes on lead vocals rather than the guitarist, as can be seen/heard on their debut single "Sniff You Out", which was released last week.

It's a pretty short song, one that leaves you feeling like you've just been hit slap bang in the face with a tidal wave of rock awesomeness. Musically, it feel closest to The White Stripes at their heaviest, with their dentist-drill guitar sounds calling to mind "Blue Orchid". It's a strong starting point for the band, who have done a good job of cutting rock down to its bare essentials.

The Hunted Crows' self-titled E.P will be released on September 21st. "Sniff You Out" is available now on a pay-what-one-likes basis.

Blog Collective - Drunken Werewolf

Over the next few months, The Metaphorical Boat, alongside Drunken Werewolf, The VPME, The Blue Walrus & God Is In The TV, will be looking at some of the music that our fellow music bloggers have been raving about as part of the Blog Collective. Each month, we will be focusing on one of the music blogs in the Collective and picking out a few artists from said publication that we think you will enjoy.

This month is the turn of Drunken Werewolf. Edited by Tiffany Daniels, the blog has been running since 2005, during which time it has expanded from a one-person LiveJournal site into the sleek, multi-person, multi-faceted, respected website it has become today. It has also expanded beyond the website, with the monthly publication of a free digital magazine that offers a Bristol-centric outlook on music (although that doesn't mean that you have to be from Bristol to enjoy it - it's a cracking read, whether you're from Belfast, Baltimore or even Brittany).

With such a wide range of music being featured on the website, it's quite a task to highlight just five great discoveries from it, but in the end, these are the five which we've gone for -

Native Birds - Five Lanes of Traffic

Drunken Werewolf - It's...like if Kele from Bloc Party decided to go chill-wave, and really nailed it.

TMB - If you can get over the fact that their vocalist really does sound like Kele from Bloc Party, then you will fall instantly in love with these Londoners. "Five Lanes of Traffic" is such a lazy, hazy, dreamy, chilled out wonder of a track. It's surprising that they haven't maxed out the bandwidth of every blog in the country yet.



Ultimate Painting - Ultimate Painting

Drunken Werewolf - Ultimate Painting’s sound...(combines) West Coast rock with a lazy but nevertheless infectious guitar riff, inspired by the Drop City scene of 1965 America.

TMB - The band is a side project between members of Mazes and Veronica Falls, yet doesn't seem to sound much like either of them. It's a little bit like the Beach Boys without the overwhelming vocal harmonies.



COMPNY - Begging Me To Come Back

Drunken Werewolf - It's a song whose mournful vocals are at odds with fun music, and let's be honest, all the best songs are like that.

TMB - I don't know why the people behind COMPNY are choosing to remain anonymous. If I wrote a song s great as "Begging Me To Come Back", I would be shouting about it from the rooftops. A fantastic little moody pop number.



Shorts - Berlin 1971

Drunken Werewolf - Melbourne’s Mikael Caterer had just the right idea when he formed his new venture Shorts. Not simply about showing some skin, Caterer ensures that what he exposes has a decent bit of colour behind it.

TMB - "Berlin 1971" is almost everything you'd ever want in an dream-pop song - sumptuous harmonies, jangling guitars, and sounding like it could have conceivably been recorded in a tin can. Lovely, lovely stuff.



STÅL - Keep Moving

Drunken Werewolf - Danish band STÅL do little to prepare their audience for the humongous onslaught of pop charge they omit from their two pairs of hands.

TMB - "Keep Moving" is a funky little number, a great reminder that there's much, much more to Danish pop than Aqua.

Microwave Jenny - Shine Like New

I came across a plethora of great bands at The Great Escape this year, including this next bunch, who weren't even playing at the festival. On the Saturday of the festival, I went to Concorde 2 to see Sheppard, who were playing as part of the Australian Showcase being held in the venue (and as I said before, if the band get a good push on this side of the world, they are going to be massive). After their set, whilst queueing up for an Australian taco (which as I learned, is a sausage wrapped in a piece of bread), I got talking to two people about music and the festival. After numerous philosophical discussions took, place, including the revelation that sweet chilli sauce is indeed the new ketchup, I learned that the two of them were Microwave Jenny, a husband/wife duo who were playing a few gigs in England alongside Sheppard.

I promised to check out their music when I returned home, and it's safe to say that I was not disappointed. Take "Shine Like New" for example, one of the newest songs to be uploaded to their Soundcloud page. The song is a breezy slice of soulful pop gorgeousness, like something pulled straight from 2006, when Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse were riding the charts with a similar sound. The duo will be based in the UK for the next few months, so you should start to see their name crop up all over the place in the near future.

Owl & Mouse - Don't Read The Classics

It's nice to revisit an artist we haven't featured in years. The last time this blog wrote about the Australian born, London based Hannah Botting, aka Owl & Mouse, was back in 2011 following the release of her first E.P. Since then, she provided guest vocals on Tigercats' cover of "Everywhere" expanded Owl & Mouse into a four-piece. A new full-band E.P is forthcoming, and the first track from it has been released to the public.

For those familiar with the O&M of old, "Don't Read The Classics" will be very welcome, as it strips things back to just the voice and ukulele. The song is a heart-rendering ode about being hurt so badly by someone that you can't even bare to read the books that reminds you of them. It's a song with a great poetic bent to it, so if you like your songs fragile with hearts firmly on sleeve, you'll find something to like in this song.

"Don't Read The Classics" is taken from the E.P "Somewhere To Go", which is released on 23rd June on sky-blue 7" vinyl.

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Young Night - Picasso

Young Night are one of an increasing amount of artists who have relocated from their home country (in this case, Australia) to settle in Brighton for musical reasons. Why that town in particular has become such a hub is uncertain, although one might suspect that being a short distance away from London without the capital's extortionate rental prices, coupled with a reputation for great events promoting upcoming artists (such as this weekend's Great Escape Festival) make it an attractive location for hungry young artists.

The band's latest single is "Picasso", is a quirky little indie-pop number, albeit one that take you on a sprawling journey throughout its running time, before putting you back exactly where you started. It's a bit like Vampire Weekend with a harsher edge. It is an interesting, fresh approach to a familiar style of music, which should make Young Night a band worth keeping an eye on.

"Picasso" is available as a free download.

Calan Mai - We've Got Love

Your humble Captain might be known for many thing, but one thing he's not known for being is a prognosticator. However, in spite of this, he can confidently state that the following sentence is going to feature of a good lot of new music blogs over the next few months -

"Calan Mai  is Australia's answer to Frank Turner."

Or at least that's what they'll be saying off the back of his debut single, "We've Got Love". The song has all the trademarks of that noted troubadour - acoustic-rock production with a slight punky edge, lyrics that offer a commentary of the human condition, and a knack for a great sing-along chorus.

This time last year, fellow Aussie Vance Joy burst out of the blogosphere straight into the chart with his own brand of acoustic rock. Could Calan Mai repeat that story this year? It's might be a bit early yet to tell, but We've Got Love" is a decent starting point.

"We've Got Love" is taken from the E.P "Days on The Rock Face", which will be released in July.

Cull - World Inside Your Head

What would British Sea Power sound like if they suddenly went down the shoegaze route and moved to Australia? One imagines that it might end up sounding something like "World Inside Your Head", the new single from Sydney based 4-piece Cull. The band recorded and engineered it at a makeshift studio situated under a loft bed, and in spite of the physical restrictions they have made an impressively expansive sound that could easily have been recorded in an aircraft hanger instead. "World Inside Your Head" stands out as a rather cinematic sounding track, one which wouldn't sound out of place soundtracking a David Attenborough documentary montage.

"World Inside Your Head" is taken from the band's E.P "Bà nội", which is due to be released at the end of October.

Major Leagues - Endless Drain

Now here's a girl:boy gender ratio you don't see every day in bandkind. Brisbane based group Major Leagues consist of three girls and one guy, who hides in the back as the drummer (I love how self-aware the band appear to be of this in their promo picture). The only two other bands off the top of my head that have the same combinations are Haim and Elastica during their first album (before they ruined it by adding two members and releasing their goodness-awful follow-up "The Menace"). There's probably a sociological reason why this gender ratio is not more common in rock music, but I think I will leave it up to someone much smarter than myself to narrow down the exact reasons why.

What is clear however is that the latest single from Major Leagues, "Endless Drain", is a rather marvelous song indeed. Clocking in just over the two minute mark, the song is a lovely slice of reverb drenched indie-surf rock which matches up a great chorus with a somewhat sinister guitar riff, one which fans of Best Coast
will absolutely love to pieces.

"Endless Drain" is available to download now.

The Deltahorse - The Guy Who Walks Away

The Deltahorse is a Berlin-based trio comprised of producer Sash, Australian singer/songwriter TJ Eckleberg and saxophonist Dana Colley, formerly a member of group alt-rock Morphine. Together, they create a rather distinctive sound, if "The Guy Who Walks Away" is anything to go by.

The sound of The Deltahorse is largely saxophone and bass led, calling to mind the David Byrne & St Vincent collaborative material from last year. The song also has a bluesy feel to it through the vocals of Eckleberg, and coupled with a production style which borders on dance, should make this song a winner for fans of Alabama 3.

"The Guy Who Walks Away" is available as a free download, and is taken from the band's forthcoming debut E.P, which is due to be released in the autumn.