My Pronoun Is Legend – Smashed Crab (self released)
Democracy is Dead - Sickhunt Elektro (self released)
As many of you know, I live in Adelaide. Save your fake sympathy and cod-mockery.
There are crap things about the place, certainly. While it's a small, eminently walkable town, almost all the public statues are dreadful and the city is a no-go area before, during and after car-race weekend, Fringe Time and “Womud”, as well as assorted sporting events.
Some folk I know live in or out past the Adelaide Hills and only venture to the city to use the airport.
Lucky bastards.
Adelaide has a multi-faceted music underworld, however, and some of it is quite mucky in flavour - as well as being incredibly tempting. Let's take a couple of examples, coincidentally featuring two of the most undiscovered Adelaide musicians in the history of musicians not being discovered. Scott Kennedy (guitar and vox), and Adam Mondayitis (drums, and many other instruments) are two of them who are Smashed Crab.
Neither, I think, will thank me for giving you a potted history of their past, but they are both skilled, driven, compulsive musicians with a streak of obstinate originality which would have the dweebs hosting “Australia's Got Talent” rushing for the latrines within, say, two and a half minutes (two minutes required to shake off the shock).
"My Pronoun Is Legend" is entirely improvised. So, it sounds like Jackson Pollock's palette looks. It's big, somewhat unstoppable, gnarly to the max and the audio inverse of looks-maxxing.
Everyone who's seen Scott play guitar cannot help but be impressed. If his style reminds me of anyone it'd be a tripping Charlie Tolnay. And Scott's vocals are as arresting as they are alarming, and his lyrics are bloody frank, down to earth and not at all pretty. In fact, in places they're downright ugly.
But, and here's the catch: we know these guys. We ALL know blokes like these. These are the blokes who never make music, bottle it all up and are in the background, beyond the protest signs and on the fringes of the one percent. Yet here they are, making... this.
Adam's drums, bass and production can be faulted, I suppose. But I wouldn't want to. Musically, Adam and Scott mesh together in a natural web of earthy, granular vibes - it would be no surprise to discover that they've known each other for decades.
Adam has a number of other things up on Bandcamp; Sickhunt Elektro's recent addition "Democracy is Dead" features Scott Kennedy on vocals and Sam Geldart and a chum on trumpet:
The astute among you will recognise that Sickhunt Elektro are a completely different proposition to Smashed Crab. Kennedy's vocals now boast a tuff swagger, swinging easily with the rhythms. It's dead groovy.
Adelaide has a history of musicians hiding their lights behind juvenile pseudonyms, and aggro band names (Stackhat Dildo comes to mind). Put "My Pronoun Is Legend" on in the background and your dog - and your neighbour's dog - will bark and growl along. Put on Sickhunt Elektro and you'll leave your snags to burn on the barbie.
Not soothing, but at least, you know where you are. - Robert Brokenmouth
