Unearth This
Ob(zine) Blue Mountains/western Sydney music compilation
Available from PO Box 300, Blaxland NSW 2774 or <http://fly.to/obzine>
BY BARRY HEALY
This collection of 17 tracks by different bands from the western Sydney/Blue Mountains independent music scene is aimed squarely at one listener: the person at JJJ who discovers new bands. Everything is built around breaking the groups. It deserves much support for that. It's great music as well.
The CD has a multimedia component that provides background on each group, photos and web site information. It's an ambitious project from Ob(zine), the independent westie fanzine that has been struggling for a couple of years to introduce the area's bands to a wider audience.
The styles on show are varied: dense industrial (Compressed Infinity); punk-lite (Fifth Place); fundamentalist Christian funk/rap (True L); feminist folk (Jonah's Pride); airy pop (Glister); power pop (Earth to Nigel); as well as quite a few heavy metal head bangers (Porndrug, Futile and others).
It's hard to pick which of these acts will be the first to get the all-important record contract or that vital JJJ heavy rotation.
Jonah's Pride are said to be the best thing out of the Blue Mountains since fresh water and their track, "Devils' Tongues", is a beautiful example of why they have built the dedicated local following they have in Katoomba. Emma Charlton's rockier sound on Coming Home is also well worth a listen.
There are several bands that try to out-heavy each other but two stand out. Heifer, whose song "Mark Mark" was featured on JJJ last year, contribute "Prick" which turns the macho-metal stance on its head. Heifer mix humour, musical adventurousness and a social conscience.
Futile, on the other hand, are determined not be out metalled by anyone! Their track "Liar" shows that they have perfected the cement truck guitar sound. It's the last track and certainly signs off the CD with a bang.