Take 5 With Cedarsmoke
Cedarsmoke have just released their brand new EP Everything Is The Worst. A fitting title to our current times. With parallels to the global situation aside, Cedarsmoke’s new EP should be taken seriously as it explores sensitive topics like the gripping reality of death, scrapping through depression and the monotony of life. In the Cedarsmoke fashion, they manage to lighten the mood and maintain a less-serious vibe with their dark-humoured, cynical lyrics that’s mixed with their melancholic indie/alt-rock style. We recently handed it over to the Brisbane rockers to find out what artists they’re digging at the moment.
Augie March
I’m not really one for hyperbole but Augie March are the greatest Australian band of all-time. While I revisit their albums constantly, this year marks the 20th anniversary of their criminally stellar debut album, Sunset Studies which has sent me happily down the Augie March rabbit hole yet again. Still, no matter how many times I listen to their albums, their poetic lyrics and moving arrangements never get old.
Laura Marling
I recently saw Laura Marling play solo at The Outpost and was blown away by her singing and guitar playing. Over the last few months, I’ve been going through her albums and have continually been impressed by her intricate guitar playing. Although she has progressed and developed her sound throughout her career, I’ve really enjoyed her debut album, Alas I Cannot Swim with gems like Tap At My Window and The Captain And The Hourglass.
Tropical Fuck Storm
I don’t think there is a more aptly named band in Australia. Tropical Fuck Storm’s visceral music is as strange and brusque as their name sounds. There’s simply no band out there that sounds similar. Complimenting their weird and dissonant sound, their lyrics are brilliant, intelligent and witty. Of their two albums, my favourite is Braindrops which is a beautiful, fucked-up voyage from start to end.
Jordan Merrick
Late last year, Jordan Merrick released one of the best debut albums I’ve heard in ages. Since then, I haven’t stopped playing it. Merrick has a rootsy-kind of sound that seems heaps reminiscent of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. While every track off his album, Night Music is great, I keep going back to the bluesy last track, I Don’t Belong in particular.
Paul Westerberg
Fairly sure that all my friends and family are sick of me extoling Paul Westerberg and The Replacements but I quickly became obsessed with them after discovering their music. Westerberg is the quintessential songwriter. His ability to craft catchy melodies is unparalleled and his seemingly effortless yet complex chord progressions have often left me scratching my head in bemusement. Obscenely talented, Westerberg has the unbridled ability to write classic rock anthems like Bastards of Young and melancholic ballads like Here Comes a Regular. While his whole catalogue is gold, my favourites are the two solo albums he released simultaneously in 2002, Stereo and Mono. The latter is a straight-up rock and roll album and the former is a more acoustic affair, perfectly showcasing the dichotomy of Westerberg.
Cedarsmoke’s brand new EP is out now everywhere. So throw it in your favourite playlists.
