We are very honoured to premiere the single ‘Ruby Shoes’ from Naarm/Melbourne indie band Alcotomic: a track so bright and boisterous you need anti-gravity boots and sunglasses to listen to it.
Alcotomic formed in 1996 when John Baxter left nineties band Holocene and played to great acclaim for five years. In 2024, bassist Doug Lee Robertson (Icecream Hands) and drummer Jay Pinfold (Juke Kartel) join Baxter in a rejuvenated line-up that formed after he accidentally stumbled across dozens of cassettes from the 1998-2002 period, containing demos that were earmarked for the band’s then-planned album. And we are definitely the winner from this find.
Alcotomic are perfect examples of the Marrickville Sound – experienced musicians from the eighties and nineties still actively creative and just as talented as ever. Following the reformation in 2024 they have been prolific ever since – with an album due out later this year.
There is an irrepressible spring to the beat of ‘Ruby Shoes’ that recalls the perfect pop of XTC mixed in with a bit of day-glo Britpop and Teenage Fanclub: soaring harmonies and a chorus that would light wet firewood. According to singer/songwriter John Baxter, the song is:
all about mistakes and forgiveness.
It’s a perfect mix of indie pop and power pop fueled by soaring melodies. The track is accompanied by a nostalgic summer-bleached clip directed by Mark Bakaitis featuring Samii LaMorte and band members that oozes a seventies feel:
‘Ruby Shoes’ is out tomorrow through Small Sanctuary Records via the usual sites and the link below and is off their upcoming album ‘More Orange Than Blue’.
