How many Brisbane bands do you know? Keeping your eyes on your local music scene can be hard from indoors so instead we’ve brought a taste of it to you. Here are four albums by Brisbane artists you should listen to this semester.
1. Bugs- Growing Up (2016)
The rock-pop trio, Bugs have been creating some music magic recently with their appearance at this year’s Falls Festival and have amassed a following plus some triple J airtime. Despite their recent success, it’s their 2016 album Growing Up that you should start with. In When I Know, Connor Brooker’s Aussie accent shines through to create a catchy hit. In fact, all their songs are super catchy and you’ll have them on repeat for days. Their heavy guitar and drumming are showcased in Instant Coffee and are then stripped back for Island in My Head. Their music covers punk-pop through to surf rock all whilst being frank and extremely Australian. If you want to help grow their following, find the boys on Spotify.
2. The Stress of Leisure- Eruption Bounce (2017)
The Stress of Leisure’s 2017 album Eruption Bounce is eccentric in the very best way. I Wanna Be Adult is a pop bop that you’ll be singing everywhere, always- it’s that catchy. Pulled Pork borders on absurdism with lyrics such as “talk to me about calamari rings” and “Pulled pork democracy”. Too Much Sitting (Not Much Standing) will get you up and dancing around the living room. Tracks I Thought You Were Young, Not the Types and Keep On are sincere, cheeky and reminiscent of the unusual artist, Jack Stauber’s music. Despite this comparison, The Stress of Leisure is surely unlike anything you’ve ever heard before.
3. Jordan Merrick- Night Music (2019)
You may have heard Jordan Merrick on Triple J but this blues, Americana, country and folk singer from Brisbane has more songs for you to discover. His 2019 album Night Music is poetic, brooding and dangerously sincere. Introduction exemplifies Jordan Merrick’s ability to tell a story and it is this that continues throughout the album in tracks such as Dark Night and A European Love Song. For a heavy blues song that sounds right out of vaudeville check out, I Don’t Belong. His collaborations with Amela are beautifully haunting, with my personal favourites being Record Time and Dangerously Sincere. Keep in the loop with Jordan Merrick’s Facebook page as he has also been playing some of his tracks on Facebook live in his ‘Live from House Arrest’ series.
4. Cigány Weaver- Cigány Weaver (2019)
To add something different to the mix, welcome to Brisbane band Cigány Weaver. Cigány Weaver’s self-titled 2019 album is jazz, swing and folk music packaged together to make what they call ‘gypsy-jazz’. Jo Davie’s vocal range is incredible and this album doesn’t waste time exploring it as well as the musical talent of the rest of the band. Their sound varies from the swing-soul style of Sweet Georgia Brown, the folk musings of I’ll Be Seeing You and the melancholy, even slightly creepy sound of
The River, achieved with a violin. If you’re looking for something different Cigány Weaver should be the top of your list.
A lover of 80s films, pun enthusiast and a proud owner of too many books, Ellie Taggart loves to find a good story wherever she can which aids her in her creative writing, journalism and entertainment degree. She spends her time consuming film, television and all things pop culture and has a weakness for Linda McCartney’s Cheese and Leek Plaits.