Another practice survey of Focus Tracks for a polite audience...

Let’s face it, the days of your ‘hit’ record financing a fleet of Ferraris of many colours has obviously gone. Even simply making a living from music is a lot more tenuous. But Courtney Barnett and Jen Cloher have got to be one of the default models for multi-skilling artists doing good - not just for themselves, but others. Their Milk Records cottage industry collective is not just the vehicle for their own works, but giving the leg up to the likes of Loose Tooth and even New Zealand’s beautifully fragile Tiny Ruins. Part of the juggle might be keeping their own creativity ticking over, but they seem to be doing it with ease of people who just love what they do. Barnett cherry-picks another highlight from her Tell Me How You Really Feel album with Charity (Milk!), even candidly diarising her ongoing career experience with her spin on the traditional band on tour video. Even that sometimes hackneyed form manages a 21^st century freshness here – strolling and sightseeing in Toronto, rather than old-school hurling TVs into hotel swimming pools. But the song’s perhaps ironic sighed refrain of “You must be having so much fun…” suggests there’s still a work ethic to doing what she does – time and distance from your loved ones is still something to overcome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtzIKH_sZRw

The musician trying to keep body and soul together sometimes has to be many things. One third of The April Family is multi-instrumentalist Michael Carpenter, who depending on what day you catch him will variously be studio owner and producer, video maker, or even donning a moptop wig to Paul (or even occasionally Ringo) in a Beatles show. These are the realities. Then there’s his power pop and country-flavoured original projects, such as this. The one thing you never doubt is his passion and sincerity for all he does – like the genuine glowing praise he offers for this band’s other elements – Casey Atkins’ intertwining guitar and Kylie Whitney’s perfectly country-tinged keening. One Trick Pony (Big Radio) has all these elements in place, and a likely invite to the next Golden Guitars presentation.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcjNPdrRR-k

And sometimes, music can be your whole life from very early on. Many people will just remember Nathan Cavaleri’s name as that frighteningly precocious kid with a guitar who used to turn up on ye olde Hey Hey It’s Saturday back in the mists of time. But fame as a 12-year-old should not be the end of the story. The getting through leukaemia thing is not a bad footnote either. But this is about Nathan the man and artist now. Demons (Independent) showcases that beside his voice breaking some time ago, he’s still a helluva guitar player – influences like JJ Cale and Ry Cooder to the fore, with an occasional outbreak of Tame Impala is one not unreasonable description.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z03cHNNI-p0


But if you’re talking about taking risks with your art, Emma Louise move to change, not just style and character, but even gender for her new album is a quite extraordinary thing. A chance discovery of an electronic vocal effect allows her to inhabit a man named Joseph. And make music with a voice not her own. Falling Apart (Liberation) becomes an almost Sam Smith-flavoured soulful ache, which she manages to bring from seemingly a whole different viewpoint and experience. It all might be just an interesting novelty unless the songcraft was as assured as she’s made it. Quite extraordinary.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCR9YJhPXZo


Or you can just go from another time. I Know Leopard bring the rolling synth noise from the ‘80s, and bring some modern self-awareness to Landmine (Ivy League). Sure, they’re seeing the irony in rather dodgy special effects, shiny makeup, glitter, capes, and even the gloriously anachronistic keytar - but they don’t forget they’re making pop music that’s more than just a pastiche or homage to the days of asymmetrical haircuts and moody stares into the camera. The trick may be to just listen without noticing the visuals – the giggling you’re doing might actually detract from the quality of the music.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZznNjyRrAA

 

Sahara Beck might have an element of role play in Here We Go Again (Independent). But she’s a colour drenched character of empowerment, and while this might be a breakup song, it’s one that comes with a bit of self-help and positive reinforcement as the disembodied choir sweeps in. Its carefully styled – posed, even – but never becomes quite as arch or self-mocking as it might have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F4-bOE7aYY

 

While some here have been working out making music their life, or their life as music there’s always bands just trying to get from one release to the next. They’re not after that fleet of Ferraris or support spot to Pink. They’re doing it for the love, and hopefully to entertain a few people beside themselves along the way. Yon Yonson have sometimes even announced their own demise when it’s all got simply too complicated or expensive to go on. But then they get another spurt of enthusiasm and/or inspiration and unexpectedly drop something like Cardboard (Independent) to the world. An insistent tinkling earworm that has a wander and a think as it unfurls. Gently existential in its way, although they probably wouldn’t have thought about it in those terms.https://soundcloud.com/yon-yonson/cardboard

 

And up in Brisbane, there’s some pop-punk being doled out in under three-minute portions to good effect. Columbus are shouty and trebly as the form requires, and Cut It Out (UNFD) wanders in, has a yell at you, and heads to the bar in the obligatory manner. Then there’s the bonus of a clip that lets them do all the homage to Pulp Fiction that’s necessary. All very purposefully noisy, as it should be.      
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku8oo-tgfd0