Hidden Shoal News
Beautiful New Video for PERTH by MS Paint Artist James Spinks!
We’re excited to release a wonderful new music video for Australian experimental pop outfit perth. MS Paint artist James Spinks’ whimsical new music video for the track ‘Quantum Chronological’ beautifully captures the song’s skewed charm. The simple see-sawing guitar and Casiotone refrain is accompanied by spirraling coffee pots, flashing city lights and a dancing figure who sings along to some of the track’s unearthly effects-warped vocals. It’s a beautiful marriage of lush, dreamy off-kilter pop and joyfully naive imagery. Check it out at Vimeo or YouTube.
James Spinks is a Melbourne-based digital artist originally from Perth (the place!), whose aesthetic is built around the use of his primary digital tool, MS Paint. You can view more of James’s wonderful work over at his blog. ‘Quantum Chronological’ is taken from perth’s brilliant sophomore album What’s Your Utopia?, out now through Hidden Shoal Recordings. Head to the Hidden Shoal Store to get yourself a copy on CD or in digital format and nab some free perth downloads while you’re there!
PERTH's 'Greasy Moon' In AIRIT Top Ten Australian Radio Chart
perth’s ‘Greasy Moon‘ has just landed in at number 6 on the Amrap AIRIT Top Ten ‘Most Ordered For Airplay’ chart! Australian radio is soaking in the oozy, woozy, hazy pop wonder and loving it.
If you’ve not landed yourself a copy of the band’s superb sophomore album What’s Your Utopia? then correct yourself immediately!
PERTH "What's Your Utopia?" Track by Track at Mess + Noise
Check out this fantastic track by track from the perth boys over at MESS+NOISE on their latest slab of wonder, What’s Your Utopia?. Jack, Michael, Matt and Justin walk though out each track of this sublime album and give you the insides and outsides that brought it all together.
Don’t forget that the guys are readying for some gigs in Melbourne as well as their big gig at Slanted and Enchanted with the likes of Deerhunter, Metz, Cave, Fabulous Diamonds and many more wonderful bands.
What’s Your Utopia? Album Trailer
Kramies "The Wooden Heart" Pick of the Day at Blogdeedog
Kramies scoops “Pick of the Day” for his stunning new EP The Wooden Heart over at the wonderful Blogadeedog. Check it out!
Kramies "The Wooden Heart" Live and Unplugged
We have a beautiful stripped back version of the sumptuous title track from Kramies new EP The Wooden Heart to share with you. Recorded in a cabin in Ohio this wonderful acoustic rendition disrobes the original’s shoegaze attire and leaves a stark, fragile yet gorgeous pop song in its place.
The Wooden Heart EP from Colorado based Kramies features collaborations with Jason Lytle of Grandaddy and Robert Pollard co-conspirator and GBV producer Todd Tobias. It’s a luscious and expansive 6 tracker that calls to mind Mercury Rev at their most reflective and Slowdive at their dreamiest. You can grab the original studio version of ‘The Wooden Heart’ (track) as a free download and check out the rest of the EP at the Hidden Shoal Store.
Kramies Feature and Exclusive Live Videos at The Backstage Rider
Check out this fantastic feature on Kramies over at The Backstage Rider. The piece includes lovely acoustic video versions of ‘The Wooden Heart’ and ‘Sea Otter Cottage’ from his sublime new EP (featuring Jason Lytle).
More Kramies delights coming over the next few weeks so stay tuned!
Kramies – ‘The Wooden Heart’
PERTH "What's Your Utopia?" Out Now (CD + Digital)
We’re incredibly excited to announce the release of the brilliant sophomore album from Australian experimental pop outfit perth. On What’s Your Utopia? the band manages to meld psychedelic pop, folk-laced electronica and shoegaze into a beautifully cohesive statement.
Single and opening salvo ‘Drank and Kites and Tomorrow’ summons forth glowing brass arrangements, reverb-drenched vocals and skittering breakbeats crafted from found sounds, building into a krautrock jam reminiscent of Neu! and Caribou. The gorgeous ‘Saw Promenade’ reimagines the shimmering vibes of prime Tortoise on an Australian beach, while ‘Greasy Moon’ is an echoing, disorientating, addictive stomp. Finale ‘Viewmaster’ mutates from brittle, spectral space-folk into a heartbreaking robot waltz, before dissolving then regrouping into a delirious droning coda.
The album is available now in digital and limited edition CD formats from the Hidden Shoal Store. All CD sales come with an immediate download in either FLAC or MP3 format.
perth – “What’s Your Utopia?” Album Trailer from Hidden Shoal Recordings on Vimeo.
Review Love for PERTH's 'Greasy Moon'
Only one sleep until perth‘s brilliant sophomore drops! While you wait check out these super lovely reviews for the band’s latest single ‘Greasy Moon‘ from the wonderful City and Sound and The Sunday Experience blogs,
“Greasy Moon is the second single to be taken from perth’s forthcoming sophomore album ‘What’s Your Utopia’. It’s a stompy psyche-pop affair dripping with reverb. In parts it glistens, and elsewhere it’s swampy, playing like a delicious piece of audio acid. The deep vocals are reminiscent of The National’s Matt Berninger, prompting some soothing melancholic reflection.” – City and Sound
“Latest loveliness from Aussie dream studio Hidden Shoal sees the imminent arrival of the new perth single ‘greasy moon’. ripped from their forthcoming sophomore set ’what’s your utopia?’, ’greasy moon’ is a slow ice thawing slab of darkly unfurling majesty cradled amid a ghost light seasoning of subtle soft psyche strobes marooned in cool cold wave texturing and spectrally dappled and harnessed upon swathes of waxing and waning oceanic opines unto which a sense of a shadowy gravitas bleeds – best filed somewhere near the Church in terms of understated bruised beauty.” – The Sunday Experience
PERTH's "What's Your Utopia?" Is This Week's RTRFM DriveTime Feature Album!
Exciting times my friends – perth‘s stunning sophomore album What’s Your Utopia?” lands this Thursday! What better lead up than an RTRFM Drivetime Feature Album slot all this week! Listen in via radio or stream and hear album tracks before the release as well as being able to win a copy from 5-7pm (Perth time) each weekday!
Don’t forget to nab the first two singles from the album if you haven’t already, available for free download from the Hidden Shoal Store.
Glowing Review for Kramies New EP in PopNews
Kramies sublime new EP The Wooden Heart, which also features the talents of Jason Lytle (Grandaddy) and Todd Tobias, has just scooped a glowing review in the French zine PopNews. Here’s a taste,
“Dutch-American songwriter based in Denver, Colorado, Kramies Windt is by far one of the best kept secrets in American indie -pop… We ‘re willing to bet that this five title EP will emerge from the shadows for good.” – PopNews
The Wooden Heart is available now in digital formats as well as a limited edition CD. Head to the Hidden Shoal Store for more details.
Hidden Shoal MixTape
