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The release of 'Mind’s a Burden' has seen The Upskirts stepping up. It and We Could Be A Team has seen the Sydney locals shake the garage rock tag and turned plenty of heads along the way, exemplified by the rowdy hometown crowd that filled out the Brighton Up Bar.
Early support came courtesy of Winston Surfshirt. A more interesting prospect visually than audibly, lacking a live drummer they instead had a trombonist and a man on ukulele. WIth Vance Joy’s recent success this will probably be as common as banjo’s a couple of years ago. Thier woozy pop music flitted between down-tempo trip-hop and tunes that resembled Beirut with a moog synth. An easy listen but in the context of the night, not too memorable.
The Dead Heads bleed DIY from their dedication to self promoting, home recording and self producing even down to brothers Oscar and Ali Jeffery’s home cut hair. This has lent their work and performances and endearing, almost calculated sloppiness in the vein of The Black Lips.
Tonight went a little further though. Having lost their drummer earlier in the week left them pissing in the wind. Their set was messy as a result, but far from a complete wreck. The songs maintained the playful harmonies and layered guitar work and the dynamic play between members was clear, but without a steady backing wandered off course. The lads made the most of their set regardless and tonight is hardly the last Sydney will see of them, with a prodigious work ethic a new release can’t be far away.
The Upskirts trotted casually on stage and locked into a deep groove. Phil Spectors wall of sound may have been adopted by shoegaze, but its proponents launched the wall of hair. The Upskirts incorporate both, cascading forth a torrent of glorious reverb filled, bass rattling racket. They are in a confident mood and it reflects in the cool manner they run through their set.
The sydney boys have an immense understanding of build and release dynamics. Every time they set themselves into a jam it has a goal, a payoff, a violent ending or a shift in time signature, keeping the songs moving along, in an organic manner towards a rewarding conclusion.
Dedicating the early section of the set, it was easy to notice the shift in dynamics when drummer Tom Kell took lead vocals for 'We Could Be A Team'. His detached cool delivery carrying the spaced out track along its way up, while hammering it to the ground with precise rhythm. It encompasses what is so great about The Upskirts music, the willingness to experiment, to grow and work as a team towards the best song they can muster.
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