Well may the endless vicissitudes of life be getting us down at the moment, but a bright luminescent ray of sonic sunshine from Dave Graney and Clare Moore always brightens the darkest corners of the world when they grace us with another of their witty vignettes.
The delightfully named ‘I Ain’t Got No Float’ has all the debonaire swagger you can expect from this duo: delivered with an arched brow, hand on hip and a studied pose. Guitars are crisp and ambulant over the steady beat with surprise vocal intrusions over Graney’s dulcet tones. Graney describes the track as:
…an R&B groover with a drop D funk chugg to it. Rhythmic switchbacks and asides that summon the very Dan. Lots of space to it and some post punk white pepper on those clean, asymmetrical guitar licks. Clare Moore rocking straight through it like Bonzo or Paul Cook.
It’s so suave it almost hurts, and comes replete with a louche video shot by Graney and Will Hindmarsh aka Twinkle Digitz at Wills studio and some scenes around Boronia Mall. A performance piece, it is delivered with such a twinkle in the eye it’s blinding:
The single is out now and follows the release of the single ‘Hits Are The Worse’ reviewed by me here.
The new album will be released on 30 April. Graney and Moore are calling it what it is: a rock record. As they explain:
When we say “rock”, I guess we would be thinking of The Doors, Wire, Urge Overkill, Steely Dan, Queens Of the Stone Age, The Replacements, Pulp, Roxy Music, The Fall, The Blue Oyster Cult, and those kinds of tones. Those kinds of lyrical flights and suspensions. Bo Diddley and Latin beats and diminished and augmented chords. Expensive inversions. Flash stuff. Though there is also a lot of dumb, irrational, loose and goofy as well.
All instruments are played by Graney and Moore with mistLY guitarist Stuart Perera guesting on two tracks. Recorded in Melbourne at Soundpark with Idge, the album was mixed by Dave Graney and Clare Moore and mastered by Idge.
And for those wondering where the album title came from? Laburnum is a stop on the Belgrave train line from the CBD to the outer suburbs of South East Melbourne. Not a suburb, a stop.
The duo are heading off on an extensive tour to promote the album – details below.
Sunday April 26
The Retreat, Brunswick VIC
*Dave Graney and the mistLY
Friday May 15
Murray Delta Juke Joint, Goolwa SA
Saturday May 16
Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide SA
Sunday May 31
Young St Tavern, Frankston VIC
Thursday June 4
Smiths Alternative, Canberra ACT
Friday June 5
Marrickville Bowling Club, Marrickville NSW
Saturday June 6
The Heritage, Bulli NSW
Friday June 12
The Link and Pin, Woy Woy NSW
Saturday June 13th
Stag and Hunter, Newcastle NSW
Sunday June 14th
The Flow Bar, Old Bar NSW
Sunday July 12th
Mullum Roots Festival, NSW
Friday July 24
Courthouse Arts Theatre, Geelong VIC
Friday July 31
Banshees Bar & Artspace, Ipswich QLD
Saturday August 1
Eudlo Hall, QLD
Sunday August 2
Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane QLD
Friday August 28
The Duke Of George, Fremantle WA
Saturday August 29
Lyrics Underground, Maylands Perth, WA
