EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING. Apparently that's the name given to a scientific occurance involving magnetic fields, conductors and some other crap I'll never understand, though it's also the name of a new-ish Melbourne band you'll be hearing a whole lot more of in the future. I caught them this Friday just passed at Revolver, of all places (yes, kicking and screaming all the way... it being a local chickenhead/yuppie a-hole haunt of some repute in Melbourne, if you don't know), and left so suitably impressed I feel it is my duty to inform you of their existence. Of course, I had seen them before on several occassions, but this time it really clicked: ECSR are one hell of a band, and in fact may just be the best currently operational rock unit in Australia today.
A four-piece w/ no apparent pretentions whatsoever, they've nailed a sound which no one in living memory has managed to perfect south of the equator. It's a weird beast to witness in the flesh. Singer, "Brendan Suppression", looks like Joe Blow on the street except he possesses the hilarious habit of always donning leather "singing gloves" on stage to screech with, yelps w/ an unfiltered Aussie accent and likes to do a great deal of his yelling off the stage. Like, in the audience. Bassist, "Rob Solid", looks like he should be playing in the Cockney Rejects, though he alarmingly plays his instrument arched at chest level - New Wave style - and with his fingers. It's a brave move, though his obvious enthusiasm pulls it off. Guitarist and occasional keyboardist, "Eddy Current", has the weediest guitar sound this side of Tom Verlaine, though w/ a booming rhythm section carrying most of the load, his rake-thin inflections serve a perfect decoration and, when needed, he strums out some hip-shaking power chords. Drummer, Dan Helada (and I believe that is his real name) makes me jealous w/ his skins prowess. Never too fancy with his fills, he is, as they say, the Human Metronome. He also has some nice tattoos. That's the band.
Their sound is a tough one to pin down, if only because it falls into approximately three different categories. Most of it falls roughly into a late '70s, minimal and aggressive punk vibe not too dissimilar to the debut long-player efforts from Wire and the Saints. It's clean and disciplined a la Pink Flag, though the 'Strine drawl has me thinking of no one else but a young Chris Bailey. The second element of the band sees them taking on a more conventional, though occasionally HC-paced, take on '60s beat/rave-up raunch of the Easybeats/Yardbirds mold. You'll stomp, shimmy, shake and have yerself a good time. Lastly, there are the moments when Eddy Current - that's the man, not the band - drops the guitar and takes up the keyboard. I drew a long bow to a friend on Friday night and told him such moments bring to mind the Screamers. I think I was full of it. Let me retract that statement and tell you that the third element of the band sees them delving into chintzy old-school keyboard-driven garage rock of the Seeds/? And The Mysterians ilk. That clears that up. They excel at all three.
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