We've rounded up Adelaide's best new music for November, including Jon Ann, Oscar The Wild, Plastiq, The Mark Of Cain, The Tullamarines, West Thebarton and more.
November 28, 2023
Culture
Adelaide’s best new music
BABY CANDY — ‘What’s Worse’
‘What’s Worse’ is the latest single from Baby Candy, with brooding cover start Chester the cat setting the tone for the grungy track. Baby Candy describes their sound as a “fuzzed out blend of dirty garage rock, with hints of 70’s punk and 90’s stoner doom”. CityMag can’t think of a better soundtrack for the out-of-summer-character overcast afternoon we’re having as we write this column.
Remarks
Listen to this playlist on Spotify.
If you’re a South Australian band or musician with a new release, let us know about it.
Chloe Sea — ‘Call it a Day’
‘Call it a Day’ is a soft melody by 17-year-old singer-songwriter Chloe Sea. The first song from this musician on CityMag’s radar, it is emotional and soothing, but at one minute and 12 seconds into the track, a dubstep bass echoes into the ears, and a hardcore chorus blasts the words: “If you continue to bite my head off / I keep flying off the handle… you know you’re a bad example”. Chloe says the song is about a “fun yet toxic relationship that’s caught in a vicious cycle of ups and downs” and CityMag is intrigued.
EAST AV3 — ‘DAYTRIP TO THE NIGHTTRAP’
The second EP from hip hop trio EAST AV3 shows growth from their earlier work, with making it through setbacks a running theme through this tracklist. This theme was forced upon the group after a corrupted hard drive lost the first attempt at this EP. Rappers Kane Trop3z, YOURPAPASENSE! And producer Nic Flare levelled up in the studio to bring us ‘DAYTRIP TO THE NIGHTTRAP’. Expect experimental hip-hop with melancholic musings laced through a steady flow.
Jon Ann — ‘F With Me’
Jon Ann wants Adelaide to know they’re here. This is clear in their regular gigs – practically weekly – on the pub circuit. Since transitioning from a duo to a fully-fledged four-piece, the grunge band have evolved with heavier riffs and angrier lyrics. Their latest track ‘F With Me’ puts this front and centre.
MB37 — (Always The Outsider)
‘Mask’ is the latest release by MB37, an artist we know as the elusive James. He has an affinity for old-school drum breaks and spoken word samples and has been playing around with electronic music for the best part of a decade. ‘Mask’ is his first full-length album that reflects on his life since discovering he is autistic. It’s an album laced with meaning and labelled with the tag trip-hop on Soundcloud – fitting. Not to be mistaken with hip-hop, the trip is a crucial part of the listening experience. For this CityMag reporter, the stand out is track 2 (Always the Outsider) which depicts an evolution of social confidence. At the 11-second mark, it transports us to what feels like Holly Golightly’s apartment with someone crashing around in the kitchen.
Naomi Keyte — ‘Warm Water’
Adelaide musician Naomi Keyte released her latest track ‘Warm Water’ which is a soft folk rendition mourning a love that once was. In this track, CityMag assumes Naomi grapples with heartbreak when she struggles to remove a significant person who was once in her everyday life: “I wear the same clothes / some of them are yours… and I’ve moved house / but you’re still in every room”. This track, which had us in shivers, will also feature on Naomi’s upcoming album which is set to be released on February 2, 2024. Although this song missed out on last month’s best new music write-up, the anticipated music video is set to be released this week.
November Kane — ‘SUPA SONIC’
November Kane has really popped off in November with three new singles, ‘ur boy’ ‘SUPA SONIC’ and ‘BYE!’, revealing some versatility, and introducing themselves with sonic dance beats. Our pick of the month from the three is ‘SUPA SONIC’ which has a repetitive hook that gives the illusion of moving on.
Oscar the Wild — ‘She’ll Be Right’
The self-titled track of Oscar the Wild’s debut EP had us headbanging from the first second. Colloquial Aussie slang being ‘She’ll Be Right’ fronts the two-minute and 56-second track. While exploring the struggles of mental illnesses, the song describes the simplicity of being there for someone in their darkest hours by stating in the chorus: “Just hold my hand / she’ll be right”.
Plastiq — ‘DEMONS’
Plastiq always tickles CityMag’s fancy — even more so when it’s a CAPITAL WASTE video collab. This time was no different. Singer Abbey Howlett fearlessly moved behind a photographer’s camera in the music video, giving us camp supermodel energy. Dressed in a pink bedazzled frock, the duo’s costume and acting choices seamlessly match the vibe of the hit track ‘demons’. In typical CAPITAL WASTE fashion, Plastiq are summoned to an alternative, electric universe, effortlessly being home to the techo, Apocalypto-pop beat.
Psithur — ‘Summer Rain’
‘Summer Rain’ is the first single from Psithur, an alternative metal band new to the Adelaide scene. The five-piece blends elements of hard rock with melodic metalcore and their debut is a cathartic listen with lyrics like ‘now I’m addicted to the flaws in my design’ setting the tone. The guitars really go for it on this track as ‘Summer Rain’ gives us a coolly restrained taste of what’s to come from the group.
Shanaya Silva — ‘Standing Ovation’
Shanaya Silva is giving pop princess. The beat of her latest track ‘Standing Ovation’ reminds us of 11.30pm on a Saturday night, raising our hands in the air with a vodka lime soda spilling from every drunken movement. We’re here for it. The self-proclaimed R&B and dance artist says this is her favourite song of hers yet, and we have to agree.
Spaghetti Death Trap — ‘Wine Tour’
CityMag gasped at every new sentence stated by Spaghetti Death Trap in their new song ‘Wine Tour’. The heavy rock and roll turned screamo track seriously went there: “Pretty little white boys with coke up their nose / drinking money like they’re hungry / getting fucked on daddy’s money”. Although we cannot figure out exactly the conflict that occurred, we are invested, and the intense rhythms surrounding the jaw-dropping lyrics only heightened our anticipation to find out more. Props to you, Spaghetti Death Trap.
Sunsick Daisy — ‘Faith’
Sunsick Daisy’s opening track in their debut EP is a soothing, folk melody. While grappling with the suffering of mental illnesses, Sunset Daisy candidly explains their personal experience and the insecurities running through their heads in this raw and honest depiction. Titled ‘Faith’, the chorus chants: “breathe in, get through another day / breathe in, all the words I can’t say”. These lyrics describe simple coping mechanisms to get through these tiresome and unrelenting illnesses, and CityMag sees it as refreshing to have these topics of conversation in our Adelaide music releases.
The Mark Of Cain — LMA
Adelaide icons The Mark of Cain have remastered and re-released their seminal 1995 record Ill at Ease, giving the album – produced by Henry Rollins – a modern polish and throwing a few remixes in at the end for good measure. When CityMag spoke to the band for the latest issue (out now!) we were told the drums were given a revisit with the remaster. They sound spectacular on ‘LMA’ which closed the original album and remains this writer’s favourite track by the band. If you missed The Mark of Cain train in ’95, now’s the next best time to discover your new favourite local band.
Travis Cook — ‘rushtech’
CityMag already has Troye Sivan’s ARIA award-winning banger ‘Rush’ on our personal playlists, so an electronica remix in the form of ‘rushtech’ by a loved local artist is an easy sell. Travis’ playful sonics create a pumped-up vibe that we can’t get enough of in the office. This track transforms the already iconic ‘I feel the rush / addicted to your touch’ into a club must-play. To buy the digital track on Bandcamp, Travis only asks, ‘pay what you want, all proceeds to Australian Friends of Palestine Association’.
The Tullamarines — ‘Head Roll Back’
This summery anthem literally has our heads rolling back in delight. As we bopped and hummed along to this catchy tune, we reminisced on early eras of relationships and the mix of lust and terror that follows: “I’m hopelessly lost in my head / and honestly you could pull ‘till I bend”. Lucinda from The Tullamarines told Australian Music Scene that the track began with a simple jam and prolonged writing experience. To see the band in full swing, The Tullamarines are playing at this year’s Vintage Vibes festival.
West Thebarton — ‘Desire’
West Thebarton’s latest track has one lyric that really captures the CityMag ethos: “Good food, good booze, with two dogs and good tunes.” Desire has a quality of escapism that we love, and although it skews a little milder than what you expect from West Thebarton, we trust them to come back from this holiday. We also know they’ve got an album release due early next year which is sure to give us our pub rock fix.
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