Sunday 23 March 2014

Goodbye Boozy salutes the Geelong underground

A recent batch of 7"s on Italy's Goodbye Boozy is enough to convince you to board the next flight to Australia and hitchhike your way to Geelong to crash the raucous punk/garage party that's obviously in full swing over there.  Of the 3 I bought (Not Unloved foolishly believed that financial prudence was a good idea and didn't buy Hierophants and is now totally regretting it as it appears to have disappeared), the most blasted so far is Ausmuteants' scorching "Felix Tried To Kill Himself":



Dark, breathless brilliance! Unfortunatlely, after checking the comments below the song on Soundlcoud I lost 10 minutes trying to work out the 11 ways to kill oneself with a toothbrush.  Oh, dear!  By all accounts the Geelong groups swap members like we traded football stickers in the playground in 1982 so it's no surprise that there's Austmuteants involvement in Wet Blankets.  "TV Suicide" (what's with all the self-murder songs, Geelong?) is a deliciously bratty - as it should be when the singer's just 15! - slice of post-Swell Maps busted amp punk that's nothing neu (thanks Hierophants for that neat little phrase!) but is, nonetheless, a total joy:



A few years ago on a trip to London I impetuously bought an lp by The Frowning Clouds from Intoxica purely because the group's name was so great.  It turned out to be a be a superior batch of 60s throwback garage.  I guess they were the first of the Geelong groups to turn my head.  They, too, have contributed a 7" to the Goodbye Boozy Australian avalanche:



"Beetle Bird" is, perhaps, an odd choice of single being less immediate than the bulk of their recent "Whereabouts" lp but there's something charming in its hazy, deliberate approach and it's psychedelic guitar line that allows it to seep into your brain and make itself at home there.  I've woken up a few times recently with that guitar line playing in my head.  Surely a good sign.

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