Dear Perth, I want to issue a personal apology. For far too long you were thought of as that bland city on the other side of the continent, only beating out Canberra in the ‘nothing much going on here’ department. How I was so naive in my youth. Perth may be the butt of a few jokes for east coasters, but truth be told the Swam River city is bursting at the seams with outrageous guitar riffin’ rock tunes. There are some incredible bands on the scene, and it is high time they be immortalised in a highly esteemed listicle.
Perth may just be the rock capital of Australia. Here are 7 local bands who know how to slam on the distortion and whip the fans into a sweaty frenzy.
Puck
Who else to better start with than the winners of last year’s WA Music Awards recipients for Best Metal/Heavy Acts, Puck. The band have chunky riffs down pat whilst the religious amount of distortion used suggests it is highly possible this trio have never fathomed their guitars actually have the option of a clean tone. Not that we want them to, those fuzzy, massive riffs dominate their self-titled EP and gives their sludge metal a psychedelic edge.
Tired Lion
Speaking of award winners, you can’t get past the WAM Rock Song of the Year champions Tired Lion. This young four piece have a penchant for walking the line between pretty melodies and powerful grunge soaked anthems. Sophie Hopes’ vocals are just divine, and with said Rock Song of the Year I Don’t Think You Like Me as tasty morsel for their new batch of tunes any fan of the current grunge revival will be pouncing on Tired Lion pronto.
FOAM
The last time we covered FOAM they were described as the soundtrack to punch your boss in the face. That’s a pretty solid description. If you’re a nut for DZ Deathrays but froth for a grungier, sludgier version of that then this thrashing three piece is sure to satisfy your craving. They have attitude of just cutting free from all the shit in the world, preferably by punching it in the face. Metaphorically of course.
Black Stone from the Sun
Everyone loves a good two piece rock band. You know what people love more? Two piece bands whose sound is so fucking huge you’d think they’d rank on the level King Gizzard number of band members. Black Stone from the Sun is just two buds Jack and Sean who came kicking and screaming into the world two years ago. Their self-titled EP is a thrashing good time, and with their latest ditty Pastel Roses getting smashed on FBi there are certainly promising things for this duo in the future.
The Love Junkies
“Fuck me like you hate me” may be the most genius lyric of 2014. So full of irony, self loathing and yearning, it’s a loaded gun of a line and no one could deliver it better than The Love Junkies. The band dropped their sophomore album Blowing on the Devil’s Strumpet late last year and it was a doozy. It’s a relentless record, the kind with aggressive guitar bangers that work well structured melodies. It’s like one of those classic odd couple sitcoms, but grungier and Perthier.
HYLA
The floaty vocals of The Thousands at first seems at odds with the overpowering chords at work on this track, but HYLA manage to make it work, so much so that it is without a doubt their most promising work to date. They may not be the most edgy band on this list, but they sound like the beefed up, darker cousin of Tame Impala, and that’s pretty bloody awesome. Expect some new stuff from HYLA in the not too distant future. Judging form the strength of their first self-titled EP and The Thousands, we’re in for a treat.
Total Waste
We’ve saved the best for last. Or do I mean the mist bizarre? Total Waste only came about earlier this year, and holy crap these guys know how to bring it. “I fucked my friend, and I fucked his girlfriend. I fucked my friend, and you can bet your ass if he asked I’d fuck him again. I want love, real love“, lyrics like this that are as honest as they are grabbing is what punk rock is all about. The shrieking vocals and messy guitars fit the aesthetic and plays up the theatrical nature of the subject matter. It’s brilliant, and has to bee seen live.
