Confidence Man 30, Album Reviews

Words by Bryget Chrisfield

Naarm/Melbourne-based producer, DJ, funk synthesist and overall jazzy cat Harvey Sutherland (real name: Mike Katz) has said that he created the majority of Boy “in a circular loop between [his] studio and [his] psychotherapist”.

Initially, Katz intended to make this record about his father, but then it soon became apparent that he was actually describing himself; so it makes total sense that a closeup photograph of Katz’s face – looking like a dapper, but dazed and confused, extra from Happy Days – was chosen to grace Boy’s cover. “I like the idea of oversharing,” Katz explains in the accompanying presser.

“Electronic music has that archetype of the brooding, faceless producer. I sort of like hacking that, doing the opposite.” Katz also sings lead vocals for the first time here – an experience he’s described as “really confronting” – on the saxtastic, Todd Rundgren-channeling track ‘Holding Pattern’ (after a slated collaborator fell through) and certainly doesn’t disgrace himself.

Under his Harvey Sutherland moniker, Katz has worked with the likes of Genesis Owusu and remixing credits to date include Disclosure, The Presets’ Julian Hamilton and The Lazy Eyes (his remix of their song ‘Fuzz Jam’ is a deadset sneaky banger). Throughout Boy, he activates limitless sonic – and neural –pathways with regular synth explosions triggering a sense of euphoria.

Album opener, and Boy’s patient card (if you will), ‘Jouissance’ – so named after a term Katz investigated after first hearing it used during one of his therapy sessions – is effervescent à la Gershon Kingsley’s ‘Popcorn’. There are many variations but, according to Katz, the English translation of ‘jouissance’ is “the itch that demands scratching, a masochistic desire”. Chinstrokerish? Sure, but this is what musical enlightenment sounds like.

Christened “the godfather of Modern Funk” by Katz, Dâm-Funk (aka Damon Garrett Riddick) loans his pipes to lead single ‘Feeling Of Love’ – a perfect roller-rink soundtrack: “We need to realign our energies/ And get on the same frequencies, yeah” – brace yourselves for the epic keytar solo! ‘Michael Was Right About You’ (cute title) – all percolating, escalating bliss – will easily impress your hippest dinner party guests. The robotic ‘Type A’, which also ripples with sinewy bass, is offset by a deadpan vocal delivery courtesy of Jack “sos” Summers from Melbourne punk prospects CLAMM: “Because I. Want. It. All.”

An elaborate diagram decorating the flip side of the vinyl sleeve dissects what it means to be funky, suggesting, among other deliberately tongue-incheek claims: “Even the most unfunky moment can be funky.” Said diagram’s final destination is “neurotic funk”, which is the perfect descriptor for Boy’s sprawling arrangements. And we’re tipping Axel F scored high rotation on Katz’s Discman back in the day.

Clarity Recordings/ Virgin Records Australia Release date: April 29

Trimming their lineup down from nine members to the essential songwriting holy-trinity of Ella Thompson (GL), Jarrad Brown (Eagle & The Worm) and Liam McGorry (Ex-Olympian, Saskwatch), Dorsal Fins entered McGorry’s Hope Street studio with zero expectations and no specific plans to make an album. Then Stars Of The Show – described by McGorry as “the most eclectic thing we’ve ever done” – emerged, with lead vocal duties switched-up throughout giving their third record an almost mixtape feel. Ironically titled, since creating this record was a truly collaborative affair, Star Of The Show was produced by John Castle (Vance Joy, Megan Washington). The opening title track immediately hypnotises and we feel like we’re floating blissfully in the infinity pool of a house we’ve just broken into, until the groovy beat drops and hints of brass float by on the breeze to shake listeners out of reveries.

Boasting a clarity akin to the great Linda Ronstadt, Thompson’s vocals are pop perfection, glistening like sun glitter throughout the album’s ebullient second single, ‘Sister’: “I lost my way trying to be a woman.” Melancholy, Peter Hookchanneling bass enters around this song’s halfway mark before intensifying bongos massage our hopes up and then male BVs rush in, like supportive allies of an exhausted sisterhood.

Dorsal Fins have always been an innovative, exciting outfit, but free from the shackles of expectation and attachment to outcomes they’ve rewritten their statement of intent. Don’t be mistaken, however, Star Of The Show ain’t no hastily released collection of tinkerings.

Dot Dash/ Remote Control Release date: May 13

‘Talk About It’ is the opening track on Romero’s debut album, Turn It On! The Melbourne outfit are still relative unknowns, but the lived in, bullish sound of ‘Talk About It’ is an apt set-up for what’s to come. ‘Talk About It’ begins with blazing electric guitars, sounding not unlike The Strokes circa Is This It (or is it Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers circa ‘American Girl’?)

Turn It On! is out via local indie label, Cool Death Records, who’ve put out records by Tyrannamen, Power, and Low Life – all bands who made statements about contemporary psychic squalor while borrowing freely from rock music history. Romero follow suit, though the most salient point of comparison is Royal Headache. According to the band, the album’s production aesthetic was influenced by the sound of Royal Headache and the first two Strokes albums, as well as Philadelphia hard rockers Sheer Mag. But the quintet of vocalist Alanna Oliver, guitarists Adam Johnstone and Fergus Sinclair, bass player Justin Tawil, and drummer Dave Johnstone, make the throwback sound come alive on ‘Talk About It’.

Oliver’s lyrics are directed at someone who’s struggling to talk about how they’re feeling. It’s hard to tell whether she’s gentling prodding them to speak or mocking them for their paranoia. Either way, the song’s “Do you wanna talk about it?” chorus hook will jam itself into your brain.

[ Cool Death Records ]

Teether can do no wrong at present. ‘One Layer’ is the lead single from MACHONA: Afar, You Are an Animal, the Naarm-based MC’s upcoming fourth solo album, due on 27. MACHONA follows last year’s Glyph, a collaboration between Teether and producer Kuya Neil, which reached a wider audience thanks to support from Chapter Music and Triple R Album of the Week honours.

In March, 2022, Teether linked up with jazz and funk bass player, Don Glori, on the comically braggadocious jam, ‘Dizzy’. Meanwhile, Teether self-produced, recorded, and mixed MACHONA during a three-month stint of lockdown solitude. Teether was also without an internet connection during this period, but the literal disconnection has not hampered the MC’s knack for drawing in listeners to follow his every word. ‘One Layer’ runs for just one minute and twenty seconds, during which time Teether’s flow is practically uninterrupted. The scratchy electric guitar instrumental sounds more like Yves Tumor than the Soulquarians vibe of ‘Dizzy’, and it’s a perfect fit for Teether’s sort of anxious, sort of don’t give a shit rhymes.

“Internet ancient,” he says, early in the track. “Preaching to a valley of anxious faces.” What might be causing the anxiety? Some suggestions: “My ni**as got Centrelink payments,” Teether says. He adds, with a knowing grin, “I’m essential to the State / Still, I played chicken with the pigs on the way.”

[ X Amount Records ]

Tell me, is beginning a song with a chorus a good idea? Zretro’s ‘Superpower’ argues the affirmative. “Tell me, why is understanding me your superpower?” sings Zima, one half of Zretro, at the top of ‘Superpower’. Zima, an acolyte of nineties and early noughties R&B, continues, “You know what I’m thinking even by the hour.”

These lines, which comprise the first of the ‘Superpower’ chorus, are repeated many more times before the song’s conclusion. The wonder and sense of disbelief in Zima’s voice never fades. “This song represents the fire and the passion I enter my interactions with and how I knew love when I was young,” Zima said in a statement.

Zima and his partner in crime, producer 2nd Thought, are joined on ‘Superpower’ by Sengambian Jazz band guitarist, Luke Kozanski, and bass player Horatio Luna. 2nd Thought dials in an MPC drumbeat with a firm kick drum sound and adds some atmospherics keys. Most importantly, the three accompanists succeed in staying out of Zima’s way.

Zima recently appeared on Triple R’s The Score, where he was asked what Usher song he would cover. ‘Superstar’ was his answer, referring to a lesserknown track from Usher’s commercial mega-success, Confessions (the album with ‘Yeah!’, ‘Burn’ and ‘Caught Up’). He proceeded to sing it live on air. It was great, but ‘Superpower’ guarantees the next time he’s in a radio studio, the focus will be squarely on Zretro.

[ Hopestreet Recordings ]

– Words by August Billy

Photography by Karsten Winegeart

Words By Sidonie Bird De La Coeur

If you ascend the staircase next to Yah Yahs (97B Smith Street Fitzroy) you’ll find yourself in a hyper-camp Western themed saloon, with drag queens hosting karaoke performances, bartenders dressed up as cowboys and DJs spinning tracks late into the night. This is Wows, the newest queer-oriented venue owned and operated by Nicholas Jones, who currently owns Yah Yahs and Cherry Bar. “It’s going to be camp,” Nick says when asked what a typical night at Wows will look like, “I wanted to do something that was silly and fun. I wanted drag queens to run the karaoke [because] I think it will be really disarming – everyone loves drag queens and they make you feel really comfortable. We thought: how can we make karaoke even more fun and even more camp? Let’s have drag queens.”

Designed to look like an old Western saloon except with a lot more glitter, guests are invited to dress up to fit in with the theme. When asked about the cowboy theme, Nick says “I love in queer spaces when you flip the script – drag is about flipping gender norms, giving the middle finger to what society says that you should be – and what better way to do that than with something that is as hyper masculine as cowboy?” “Wows is … 100% my biggest passion project, this is about me trying to give back to the community and trying to create a space that I wish existed when I was 18,” he continues. “It’s not lost on me that the clubbing experience can be intimidating and that’s particularly pertinent for younger queer kids – so creating spaces where they feel safe to express themselves and feel safe to explore themselves, I think is really important.” If you’re looking for a venue that is a safe space for all those who identify as LGBTQI+, want to belt out some tunes at karaoke or just really like wearing big hats, chaps and spurs – check out Wows. “Let’s just be ,” Nick says, “and camp is about being irreverent, being fun, being silly – we all take ourselves way too seriously and I think we have the best nights when we don’t.”

Wows is located on Smith Street in Fitzroy and open from Thursday to Saturday.

Photography by Joe Downey

Words By Sidonie Bird De La Couer

In the heart of Richmond, situated on the corner of Victoria and Church Streets is The Leadbeater Hotel – a leading live music venue and pub with gigs on Friday and Saturday nights. Having operated Nevermind Bar for just over ten years, owner of the Leadbeater Joe Downey has put the concert experience at the forefront of the venue’s ethos. Extending the stage to make room for bigger acts, constructing a green room and the fitting of a new sound system has transformed this venue into a premier gig destination.

“We’ve managed to leapfrog into the upper echelon because of the quality of the sound system,” Downey says. “We really wanted to nail it first time because our focus is on the artist experience and I think the crowd will follow. We do ensure the patrons are having a good time but we feel if the artist experience is fantastic and they are cared for and able to sound their best, the rest will follow.”

Previously known as the Eureka Hotel, this 350-400 person capacity Richmond venue was once home to the famous Hunchbax theatre restaurant. The venue booker for The Leadbeater is Will Clancy of Melbourne outfit DIET, who has focused on bringing fresh talent that fills the venue’s bandroom. “When we started looking into bookings for the place, the mantra around here was that we are not a genre-fied venue,” states Clancy. “We won’t discriminate against any music types or different genres of music. It was more about having a bit of diversity across the board and getting more Melbourne bands in as well as trying to pull some interstate people in as well.”

The Leadbeater Hotel is located on the corner of Church and Victoria St in Richmond and open every day except Monday.