Pop rock connoisseurs Lime Cordiale took over The Standard Friday night for the launch of their single ‘Bullshit Aside’ off pending EP Falling up the Stairs. The Sydney based quartet led by brothers Oli and Louis Leimbach are gaining some well-deserved attention, with their latest release picked up by the good folks over at Triple J. They’ve put out an open call for support slots on this tour, displaying admirable support of the local scene as well as giving audiences the chance to experience some wonderful emerging talent.
The first show of the Bullshit Aside tour kicked off with the delightful stylings of band keyboardist/guitarist Tim Fitz. Armed with a guitar, keys and looping pedal, Fitz looked the humble lone figure onstage. Not for long though. As he built textures out of nimble guitar hooks, chunky tremulous samples and booming beats, the music took on a life of it’s own, boldly filling the space, accompanied by his accented husky vocals. Fitz’s humour eased the crowd whilst he worked, beautifully crafting sounds for ‘Disposable Youth’, plucking out a slide for the chaotic ‘Hospital’ and tinkering with the sweet bluesy notes of ‘Happiness is Tugging at Your Heart’. It’s unsurprising and quite fitting, that Tim Fitz’s vibrant percussive sound coupled with clever, sincere lyricism has landed him FBI radio’s Unsigned Artist of the Month.
Numbers swelled as excitement kicked up a notch for The Moonlight Cowboys. The local foursome seemed as dark, brooding and mysterious as their name, producing an intriguing mix of hard fast rock, reggae rhythms and country swagger. Charismatic front man Dominic Breen’s gruff sombre vocals proved gripping, as they laced their way through the big ballsy intro of ‘Coral’, ringing with twangy guitar licks. The band bopped, inciting the crowd to dance ferociously, as the pace switched for forlorn ‘Oh My Leah’ and slide and stomp turned up for the rattling ‘Get on Back’. A formidable force of diverse, fluid sound, the Moonlight Cowboys delivered a deliriously lively and punchy set.
Indie rockers Louis London entered with a bang, stridently hitting the audience with fistfuls of glorious noise. Ed Saloman’swarbling powerhouse of a voice dominated the chaos, resonating with a Buckley-esque lilt. Saloman’s knack for conveying emotion through his vocal nuances had him connecting with the crowd, as he belted out the sobering desperate lyrics to ‘Weaver’, a tune laden with catchy licks. The band radiated energy and it was a pleasure watching them bounce off their audience and each other. Newly released single ‘This Night Time’ made an entrancing first impression, with its wailing chords and jangly beats, further cementing Louis London’s ever growing potential.
Lime Cordiale are kind of like a mixed bag of lollies, they’re fun, colourful and sweet with all these different flavours that work surprisingly well when you mush them together. Received by an extremely pumped up bunch of faces, the quintet showered the room in the bold brassy sounds of the trombone, boppy ska beats and the gob-smackingly rich vocals of bassist Louis Leimbach, who looks innocent enough with his tanned ripped arms, but hides an incredible set of pipes. The band’s quirky outside of the box storytelling came to the fore, as they injected joyful sounds into ‘Faceless Cat’, broken up by a splendid tinkling key and brass solo. Rumbling baselines, summery chords and Louis’ warbling Marley-esque voice were matched by Oli Leimbach’s mc interlude for ‘Make Your Mind Up’ an excellent example of how a multitude of change-ups can flow well together, whilst the jingling percussive, funk bass lines and tropical vibe of ‘Pretty Girl’ had the room swaying and shaking.
An explosion of reggae upstrokes and fast paced beats built into ‘What Don’t You Like About Me’, Louis and Oli pulling off some brilliant harmonisation, whilst bringing the party vibe to the rest of the set. Oli addressed the fact that their usual trombonist Brendan Champion had been replaced by the bewitching Donna whom ‘was easier on the eye’ and took time out to dedicate a song to two fellows who were building the band a recording studio. A 70’s beach-style swinging melody gave way to the single of the night ‘Bullshit Aside’. Judging by the incredibly catchy trombone line, soaring harmonies and complete dip into a cacophony of noise, the track is a really positive first impression of what’s in store with the new record. An orchestral sound of nature noises kicked in, as punters drifted into complete madness, rogue crashers culminating to most of the room swarming the set, ending in an onstage salsa dance party of epic proportions, the band incredibly, carrying on despite being swallowed up in the fray.
Lime Cordiale really do put the bullshit aside (cheesy pun intended), delivering an extremely entertaining, incredibly fun and aurally diverse show. Their ability to send a crowd into an ecstatic frenzy should never be underestimated and given half a chance, comes as a highly recommended experience. With the new EP Falling Up The Stairs out in a month or so, this fabulous five some are ones to keep an eye on.
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The Bullshit Aside tour is currently playing these dates/venues:
July 12: The Loft, Warrnambool VIC (Tickets @ the door)
July 13: Workers Club, Melbourne VIC (www.theworkersclub.com.au)
July 18: Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane QLD (www.oztix.com.au)
July 19: Sol Bar, Maroochydore QLD (www.oztix.com.au)
July 20: Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay NSW (Free Entry)
http://www.limecordiale.com
http://www.facebook.com/limecordiale
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