New Noise: Naked Maja, Rayon Moon, Dead Radio, Tropical Strength

Psychedelia takes many different forms in this week’s roundup of new music.

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– After savouring the delirious depths of previous singles ‘#59’ and ‘Take’, it’s nice to have a longer release from Brisbane quartet Naked Maja. The new EP Disillusion shows off their continuing collaboration with producer Michael Whitney (Nite Fields) and their general love of both crusty guitar textures and off-kilter rhythmic layers. With trippy cover art again by #7th Disaster, the EP kicks off with ‘#59’ and features three surreal new tracks from there. It’s out now as a $5 download. Naked Maja play Sydney this Saturday (Dec 14) on a packed bill at The Red Rattler, alongside Making, Lucas Abela, Golden Blonde, Horse Macgyver, Milkk and Misere. It’s a year-end bash for Octopus Pi.

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– Rayon Moon are a lot of fun. They jumpstart their four-song, name-your-price EP Resurrection with a tune called ‘The Phil Spector Wig Appreciation Society’ for one, and nail a wobbly vintage garage sound for another. They say their influences include Siouxsie & The Banshees, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Les Chakachas, Fela Kuti and The Ramones, but some of those are more obvious than others. There’s a musty surf twang to ‘AA’, which is lyrically pretty amusing as well, and the closing ‘Kick a Fire’ has a rabid intensity to it. The whole thing feels like it’s being held together by sticky tape and frayed shoelaces.

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– Sydney psych ensemble Dead Radio follow a string of ace support slots (Cave, Kikagaku Moyo) with the free-download single ‘At Dusk’. It’s a sleepy, sprawl-prone taste of a debut album coming early next year. Despite being fairly new still – their only release so far is last year’s Crystal Moth EP – the band have already landed on four different compilations. There’s also a spooky black-and-white video.

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– Following their vision quest of a debut single in ‘Wake in Fright’, Tropical Strength return with the piano-anchored number ‘Not There’. It’s a throwback Brian Wilson kind of thing, cosmic and romantic and drenched in syrup. An offshoot of Shining Bird, the NSW duo just keep making us more and more interested in their debut album, due early next year through Strong Look. ‘Not There’ is a heart-warming bout of old-school songwriting – just as long as you avert your eyes from the cover art.

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To nominate new music for this column email us at news@messandnoise.com.