New music guide The Neu Bulletin (9th July 2014)

Australia is a big, fuck off country. There’s still a lifetime’s worth of gold to be discovered there by any willing individual, and who knows, alien life form’s most overwhelming evidence yet is probably lying somewhere in the heart of the outback. Bucking the trend for good times tropical pop is D. D. Dumbo, an Aussie who captures the strange, captivating heart of his country. He claims to be inspired by tribal ideas, melodies from tiny parts of the world unbeknownst to most. It leads to an inspired take on pop, the kind of which recently found him signing to 4AD. Tonight marks his London live debut.

South London brothers Formation are a new duo with an eye for the old-fashioned. Their debut ‘Waves’ track isn’t looking back in any sense, but it forms part of a ‘White Label’ EP, giving nods to a crate-digging means of discovery music, as opposed to today’s clickthrough, trigger happy instinct. Musically it’s a mix between the playfulness of Amateur Best and Hot Chip at their most direct - smart, snapping electronic pop that pushes boundaries without being a dick about it.

London band Palace have stripped themselves of a previously more reverb-shrouded sound for something starker and more to the point. Effects aren’t there to hide mistakes anymore. It’s a brave, gutsy sound that they arrive with on ‘Veins’, their debut single. Demos had them clutching at any given sound they could get hold of - this feels more resolute in its intentions. Coming off The Wave Pictures if they were less ramshackle and actually wore suits to weddings, it’s a romance-bloomed introduction of the highest order.

Tags: D. D. Dumbo, Formation, Palace, Listen, Features, Neu, Neu Bulletin