The Recommender has been invited to be part of a yet another global music blog collective. Talks are going on in the background to discuss the eventual site and relationships are being forged between all the bloggers. It’s a hugely rewarding experience, particularly when we all join up for a natter on a Google Plus ‘Hang Out’ – a form of webcam conference call on the new social network. Through this we’ve been planning a CMJ showcase using the brand of the new collective, which will act as an introduction and a teaser for the collective’s plans. The full launch of the site and an inevitable giant party will hopefully follow either later this year or early next.
During these discussions a handful of bands have been touted as possible candidates for the CMJ showcase. Unfortunately we can’t actually remember who suggested this new trio from Sydney, otherwise we’d happily credit/link them on this post, but it’s during these connections that new discoveries such as this are already occurring – surely one of the major benefits from networking among other music bloggers. So today we can now share with you an exciting prospect called Cameras.
The trio first formed in late 2008 and have been seen on the Australian gig circuits and on radio stations, such as Triple J, ever since, culminating in their debut EP which arrived late last year. They’re now signed up with the LA-based Indie label, Manimal (who have released the likes of Warpaint, Rainbow Arabia and Bat For Lashes), as well as Cargo Records for releases in the UK market. The next big release will be their debut album, In Your Room, which is due on October 24th. Having had a peek at some of the tracks we’re pleased to suggest it’s one to get excited about.
The UK should fall for them, as they produce a broad range of atmospheric indie tunes that are deadly and caliginous whilst still being warm and tender. They never wallow so much you lose interest, like glazing over when you’re listening to your mate moan for too long about a problem you cannot help, instead they keep the melodies coming in attractive waves. On occasion they tower like Interpol, on others they drift without form, like the more balladic ends of Wild Beasts‘ spectrum. These differences are mostly shown when they swap vocals, which are lead by either Eleanor Dunlop, or Fraser Harvery, giving the band two very different faces.
On the tune, June, we find Dunlop on lead vocals, and the tone is set to darker shades. She holds the key to their atmospherics and the song shares the kind of excellent throbbing rumble that we once got with Warpaint’s slacker indie, and with another Dunlop-fronted song, June, her voice seems as threatening as the doom delivered more recently by Anna Calvi. When you hear the excellent track, Defeatist, you find Harvey front and centre and we think we slightly prefer it. Obvious comparisons with David Bowie will allow you to imagine his style and confidence, but the overall tune feels like a true champion, as it climbs skywards throughout, layering up until you have something on a totally different scale.
They have a few shows set for America through October in support of their album’s launch and they are visiting CMJ in New York at some point, but we cannot confirm or deny whether that will be part of the showcase we are involved in. We’re not teasing, it’s just the show is still being formed. One thing for sure is that we can imagine their live set would be equal parts hypnotic and striking. This discovery is a lesson in networking and the fruitful bounties that sharing can deliver, which is why The Recommender is proud to be part of such collective projects. Of course, this is only the start, so we’ll let you know when we uncover more. (MB)
CAMERAS – DEFEATIST
CAMERAS – I KNOW
