Sounds of ‘straya

Words by Jed Smith | Photos Lifewithoutandy.com

Australia’s premiere coastal-DIY culture extravaganza was back for its third instalment over the weekend. Sounds of the Suburbs, held in an unlikely back street off Cronulla’s main drag, gives young degenerates their annual dose of ‘strayan rock and roll, with a couple of internationals thrown in. It’s an art form the country’s pretty good at, being the home of AC/DC and all. The festival’s directors, ‘Swirvin’ Jack Irvin and the Prince of Persia Himself, Aaron Girgis, were kind enough to give us the rundown on their top five acts of the day.

Drunk Mums

Swirvin’ Irvin: Classic Aussie rock and roll. Not many bands do it as good as the Drunk Mums.  A lot of bands try and dress the part but these guys look how they are, and they don’t give a fuck. When we first met them they were touring and wanted to play the Space (the boys’ art gallery, Space 44) but we couldn’t afford to pay them. We offered ’em 300 bucks or something which is pretty much nothing and they didn’t give a fuck. They wanted to play the Space, and they sold it out in forty minutes. We’ve stayed mates with them since and they always said they wanted to come play the festival, and we always wanted to pay them back for playing the Space for free. The timing was perfect with massive hype coming off the release of their album.

The Dandelion

P.O.P.H: We like these guys a lot. Sick music with a really unique sound. They nail it so well. Sixties psychedelic rock and roll with synths, real flirty, very smooth, nice, easy listening. Cool style too, kinda sixties mod steeze, like a bohemian Brady Bunch. They look the way they sound; strange with plenty of mystique.

Skeggs

Swirvin Irvin: Says worst band ever on their banner (which Swirv drew for ’em) but they’re surprisingly good. They came into Sounds with a lot of hype coming off Splendour In the Grass (a massive Australian festival held near Byron Bay each year) and it was pretty sick to see ’em destroy the lane way. I think Toby (Cregan, director of the Real Axe series) chipped his tooth crowd surfing. Their whole thing comes back to what it is to be in a band. They’re not the most talented. Just three blokes who can pick up guitars and travel the world doing it, making songs. They prove you don’t have to go to band practice seven days a week to be good.

Mesa Cosa

P.O.P.H: These guys get real loose, even for their set up. It’s classic garage rock, in the Black Lips mould. They’re sick not just because they’re an awesome band and they kill it, but Pablo, the little Mexican looking guy (he’s actually from Melbourne) brings out so many bands with his company Bone Soup. Like, 10 bands a week. So if anyone wants to go see the sickest bands ever get on Mesa Cosa and Bone Soup’s Facebook. They’re definitely doing it for the love and not much money.

White Fang (USA)

Swirvin’ Irvin: They’re hilarious. They own a record store called Gnar Tapes and their lead singer Ricky G is a wild man. They’ll play heaps of shows where he just gets naked as and cuts sick. I saw them in New York and he jumped off stage and kissed everyone in the crowd, girls and boys. They smoke heaps of weed. I don’t even know how they function. They nearly didn’t get let into the country after they got arrested in New Zealand and then they got arrested here too. They’re pretty much what the festival is about. Their art and music is all about having fun and taking the piss and their art was a big influence on us when we first started doing our thing. Their show is as real you get, and that’s what we’re about too.