Considering all the times I’ve seen Chook Race on a bill, it’s strange to think that this is the first time we’re officially writing up one of their gigs. Having supported some of Happy’s favourite local acts Day Ravies, Unity Floors, TV Colours and The Frowning Clouds, the three piece are playing a headline show with Nathan Roche and Encounter Group this Sunday (16th Feb 2014) at Bar 291 in Brunswick.
Lo-Fi is an understatement when talking about Chook Race. Their tunes legitimately sound like they’re ripped at 96kbps from a forgotten record in your funny smelling uncle’s basement, which isn’t a dig at all. I think it’s cool as shit. When it comes to their live acts, the group apparently express a timidness that belies their guitar smashing recorded sounds – garage punks on record, sweet and genuine in person, these guys are what indie music strives to embody. Probably.
Nathan Roche sounds like US indie band Girls (not the HBO drama) if they were fronted by Lou Reed and had their records produced by Ariel Pink. If you think that’s an awesome combo, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this dude’s tunes. If that sentence didn’t make any sense to you, go back in time to 2010 and subscribe to Pitchfork.com, then get back to me.
Encounter Group have no official web presence – although from my internet archaeology I think I’ve pinned them down as the full band version of Sacred Product/Albert’s Basement, a dark anarcho-punk project from Melbourne. This shit is 3 edgy 5 me but if you’re into the darker brand of post-punk sounds (none of this pussy Joy Division BS) you’ll probably dig it.
This is an afternoon affair, doors opening at 4:30 PM and the whole gig finishing up at 8:30 – perfect time to get a bite to eat. Oh, and it’s free, so you really don’t have an excuse not to go.
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